


Darkened Paths - Fall of the city

by ShadowedCipher



Series: Darkened Paths - Fall of the city II PART ONE [1]
Category: Darkened Paths, Fall of the City - Fandom
Genre: Abuse in general, Blood, Cats, Claustrophia, Deals, Death, Demons, Drowning, Emetophobia, Fire, Gore, Graphic descriptions of violence/phobias, Horror, Manipulation, Mold/ unsanitary, Murder, Possession, Relationship Abuse, Religious Themes, Suicide, Swearing/cursing, Weapons, church, city, forest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2018-10-13 09:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 73,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10510659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowedCipher/pseuds/ShadowedCipher
Summary: After the events of a devastating earthquake, cats slowly start to return to The Broken City, Grinstead, to call it home once more. A young cat named Trash faces unwarranted aggression from her newfound peers and fights to find her rightful place in the city. Unsure about her future, she finds assistance in a mysterious outside force and follows her wisdom to greatness. But there’s a war in the works and Trash must decide if she's ready to fight to survive or stand down and die.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> After endless years of drafts, format changes and character/ story development, Darkened Paths is getting its final spot in the form of an eBook novel! I hope you all enjoy it and are willing to stick with it, this book doesn't have any set update times and instead updates whenever I can since i have a busy schedule.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A past Queen is introduced alongside the love she holds for her daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

It was the simple _crack_ that broke the birds back in the dead of night. Alone in the woods, a cat stood over its prey. The bird thrashed slightly, causing its wings to flap violently as it struggled to pull through it's life threatening injury. After a moment of waiting, the creature went limp and the cat grinned. It took only a brief minute for the cat to lean down and pick up its catch. Stars shone overhead through the cracks in the dense forestry, slightly illuminating a walking path for the killer to walk home.

A single turquoise eye gleamed through the darkness and the cat stepped out onto a thin dirt trail. The path lead forwards to a moonlit clearing in the woods where a large rock had made its home, accompanied by dozens and dozens of cats. Continuing the walk, the cat paused at the presumed entrance to look at two cats who sat in juxtapose, then walked right past them without a single word. Cats paused to cower when the other walked by with its head held high, the crow dangling from its scarlet soaked maw. Taking numerous leaps, the cat jumped its way up the small rock fall and onto the ledge at the top of the pile. It perched itself on the edge to glare downwards at the others who stood meek beneath them, but a small squeak sounded from behind. A tiny little creature, about the size of a rabbit, walked out from the cave behind the larger cat. Bounding forwards, it stopped to sit next to the other. It’s lithe form was almost unrealistic, almost as if the poor thing was malnourished. With a gentle nudge, the crow was pushed in front of it.

“Please eat.” The large cat spoke, her heavy voice weary. “I’m very worried about your health.”

The small creature looked up to meet the other's eyes- well eye. One of the cats eyes was missing and it was replaced with a scarred over X. Half of her face was torn off, leaving her to look quite horrifying especially to the small kitten next to her.

“But i’m not hungry.” The tiny cat said in a whiny voice. The bigger cat bit her lip and her eyes softened.

“You’ve been saying that for a while now, baby please.” The kitten wasn't afraid of her mother, she found it quite saddening that everyone was scared of her, but she was too young to understand why. She took another glance up to her and frowned, her white muzzle and underbelly were stained scarlet. The kitten understood the basic concept of blood, her mother told her it was what showed whenever someone lost. Lost a game? The red liquid confused her. That blood was the base of everything that their group was founded on. It meant more than just a victim or loser, it showed who was in control. In this group, you show your scars and injuries to show your worth and ranking among the others. With this logic, the large cat was covered in red gashes and scars, which proved her worth as leader. However, she preferred the term queen more and often referred to herself as one.

“Did you lose?” The kitten asked, reaching down to nuzzle feathers aside so she could bite into the bird.

“No, I won in every way that I could.” She drew out her tongue to lick her maw, swiping away some of the scarlet that was beginning to dry.

“What does that mean?” She pried more. With a sigh, the mother turned to look at her fellow cats.

“Your father won’t be disturbing us anymore.”

“I don’t get it.” Her voice was muffled when the kitten bit into the crow and tore back.

“I don’t expect you to, but mama did something that she should have done a long time ago. I’m going to clean up.” The queen sighed and nuzzled her kits head with her nose, slightly getting some of the blood on her head. She frowned at the sight of the crude liquid on her child, so she instantly licked it off.

“Can I come?” The kit piped up and smiled.

“Shade.” A voice hissed from below the rock, which caused the large cat to lean over to see who had called her.

“ _What_.” She snarled back in response, her large white tail quickly fluffed up.

“I’m not watching this kit any longer for you, he's your responsibility.” The lower cat spoke. A small brown kitten walked out from behind him, his ears laid flat against his head. One thing that was strange about this kit was that one of his front arms appeared to be robotic, dark gray metal adorned with three red gems at the paws.

“Goddammit. You know i'm busy enough.” Shade snapped back at him, her voice almost sounding shaky. “I have plenty on my shoulders as it is, do this one thing for me.”

“You’re too young to even consider being leader, why did you jump to the throne so quickly?” He spoke, his old age becoming clearer and clearer with each word he said.

“Don’t question my methods. Watch the kit for me. I want SwiftSong to have some kind of friend.” The queen murmured and stood up. “Give her the childhood that none of us had.” she finished with tears in her eyes. Shade was such a young queen, taking up this responsibility and raising a kitten was very hard to do all at once while maintaining a very important role in her group's life. The elder cat sighed at her clear distress and turned to look at the small brown kitten.

“C’mon, Talon.” He said with irritation laced in his voice. Talon nodded up at him, his skinny legs were nearly bone thin which caused him to slightly shake. Shade watched the two toms vanish back into one of the clay molded dens that emerged from the dirt. She swallowed harshly and pursed her mouth then turned to glance down at SwiftSong who had finished a good portion of the crow.

“I’ll wait til tomorrow. C’mon, let's get you to bed.” She turned around and slightly batted her kit with her heavy paw. SwiftSong let out a little pout then started to trot back into the den, her mother following behind her carefully. She pushed past the ferns that were draped over the dens entrance and headed inside. The cave was fully made out of stone, which was cold to the touch at the cat's delicate paw pads. Near the back of the den was a moss nest, which was gradually flattening down due to overuse. Taking the lead, Shade went in front of her child and settled down in the nest. Moving her front arms apart gently, she allowed SwiftSong to rest her small body in between her large dirty paws. The tiny yellow kitten yawned and stretched in the moss nest, then smiled and closed her sky blue eyes. Shade smiled down at her but that smile quickly turned into a frown. It made her disappointed that she heavily resembled her father. But none the less, Shade loved her young daughter. This child was all she had. Shade considered no one else family, because no one else could ever reach that level of trust with her. Covered in blood and holding a kitten, Shade swore to herself that nothing bad would ever happen to her daughter. She deserved so much love and joy, which Shade knew she couldn't supply. Biting back the tears, the young queen laid her head down to where her fluffy white cheek brushed against the small form. Shade held the tiny cat close to her and tried to push away all the dark thoughts that clouded her own mind. She vowed that nothing and no one would ever come between her and her daughter.

That was until Talon grew up.


	2. Downfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like all great queens, they all must have their downfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

Death was a hard thing to cope with, but Shade had dealt with the passing of others before. She said parting words, frowned, buried the dead, then moved on. However, this death was very different. It almost felt surreal to Shade that she had watched her daughter take her own life less than a year ago. It all happened so fast, one minute she was negotiating with Talon over war plans, the next thing she knew she was running towards her daughter's broken body.

SwiftSong went over the roof of a building as a self sacrifice, Shade heard stories that she took her own life as an attempt to stop her mother's ambitious plans. Minutes after SwiftSongs suicide, a one man war broke out inside Shade, which then opened up onto the city cats. She fought hard and by herself, even managing to tear out Talons robotic arm and kill him in the process.

It didn't even feel like that much time had passed.

Shade was currently hunched over her daughter's grave which was in a meadow of blue flowers where the sun always shone on it. SwiftSong never embraced Shades evil ways, she believed in peace and that there was always a better solution to the rough game called life. One ending she never saw coming was her kissing Talon goodbye then walking to her quick and painful demise in front of her mother.

Shade would never forget the feeling of cradling her daughters split head while she died in her arms.

Lying among the blue flowers made her feel at home. Everytime she saw one it reminded her of her precious daughter, but all she could see from them now was death and violence.

“Forget me nots.” Shade mumbled to herself. “An ironic name for something so simple yet so grim.” she picked some flowers with her mouth and dropped them on SwiftSongs dirt pile grave.

It made her stop and think- _was the violence ever worth it?_

Thinking back on her past made her realize that every choice she made had been worth it in one way or another. Even Hawk, he brought her SwiftSong, the best blessing she could have ever asked for. The choice of killing Hawk was _so_ worth it as well. Shade strangled him to death by pressing his neck into a rock until he couldn't breathe anymore. She repeated the process numerous times, letting him gasp and beg for a second, then instantly getting right back into her own special form of torture. The repetitive pattern seemed to bore the queen, so she resulted in gashing his stomach open. Every drop of blood that hit her face reminded her that _this_ was worth it.

She wondered if SwiftSongs cracking voice as she yelled “I am not your daughter and I never will be!” was worth it. Shade closed her eyes and breathed in gently. The past was difficult and she felt like she was living in an endless cycle of suffering.

Every bone in her shaking body told her to stop, to flee the woods and to never look back. But something kept her drawn to them, something kept her inner fire ignited as she struggled to mature and grow alongside her peers.

Vicious training kept her group alive. And at long last, she was queen. She had so many cats under her control that she lost count of them all. The troops were spread out in their own base camps which were scattered around the area, securing everything under Shades name.

That was until a pretty she cat by the name of Dawn strolled into her life. Shade didn't know it yet, but this cat was hell on four paws and she brought a storm with her. Dawn worked her way into Shades heart over time, which earned her a respected spot as the group's healer. Well, respected in her own head. Being cursed at wasn't something that was new to the healer, she got used to all the hate over time.

“We don't need a healer!”

“Go back to your owner!”

It was one kind wordless gesture from Dawn that made everything go well for Shade. Standing in the dens entrance was the queen herself, her large form cast a rather intimidating shadow into the den, which fell upon Dawns sleeping form. But she wasn't phased at all by this, she scooted over to make room for the massive cat. Shade took this offering with a smile and got closer and closer to Dawn with every passing night.

But all good things must come to an end, Shade found out that Dawn already had a mate and a kitten of her own. She had joined Shades army to secure her own family's safety from the growing tension. Shade wasn't very happy with this. The second she found out about this hidden affair, she tracked down Dawns mate and snapped his neck in the dead of night then hurriedly found her orange kitten. She considered drowning it in the stream or smashing it against a rock until it died, but something told her to keep it alive.

Shade allowed the kitten to live.

She didn't even flinch at the shocking sight of the dead tom, his green eyes were glazed over and his red fur was stained an even deeper shade of crimson. Dawn emerged from the bushes moments after the murder had happened, completely mortified of the scene in front of her. Shade confronted Dawn about her secret life that she hid from everyone, which Dawn retorted with telling Shade that her love for her was fake. But this wasn't what phased Shade, she already knew noone could ever truly love her. The only thing on her mind was killing that damn cat.

Dawns indigo eyes bore straight into Shades single eye, creating heavy tension between the two she cats. Shade wasn't worried. She knew that Dawn got declawed the day after she made an attempt to tear out her other eye. Granted, it was Shades fault for trying to make a move on the other, so Dawn panicked and clawed three scars over her good eye out of self defense.

Shade raised her head so the moon's rays could catch her pelt, practically illuminating her dark fur in white and blue under the thick tree canopies. Dawn took a step back from the other to where her paw stepped over a rock and slightly got submerged in the gentle creek that flowed behind her. She glanced back to the water then to Shade again.

Shades mouth opened slightly and she licked her front canine teeth, then drew her mouth back into a sick smirk. “Get out of my forest.”

As a maternal instinct, she swooped down to grab her injured kitten then leapt over the creek gracefully and bolted through the dense woods. Shade let out a long drawing laugh then raced after the other. Her heavy paws splashed in the water when she ran, but she pushed on with about as much grace as a drowning rabbit.

The two cats ran in their mad chase, Dawn's goal was to get out alive, while Shades was to make sure she didn't achieve it. Carrying the kit seemed to slow Dawn down a bit, which caused Shade to mentally thank herself for doing that. With a desperate lunge, Shade pushed herself forward in a weak attempt to grab Dawns thin tail.

Her sharp teeth grazed the fur, which caused the golden she cat to yelp and pick up the pace. Before they knew it Dawn had lead Shade right to the road. While they kept their personal lives secret, they both knew how to cross the road from experience. Night continued on for what seemed like forever, so Shade aimed to end this quick and fast before the sun rose.

“Dead end!!” Shade yowled whenever Dawn came to a harsh stop at the side of the road. “Let's make this easy, shall we?”

Dawn exchanged glances with Shade and the road, but something made her realize the road was _a lot_ more intimidating at night. Car lights were blinding at their low level, which made picking a time to run even harder. Not only that but this road in particular was one of the busiest freeways in the area, the fact that it was four lanes wide on each side with a cement wall barrier in the middle made Dawn rethink everything she's ever done in her life.

Having to choose between getting mowed down by a car or getting mauled to death by Shade was a harder decision than she thought it'd be. At least a car wouldn't make her beg and plead for mercy until her last breath.

She chose the road.

It took everything she had not to turn and ask for forgiveness from the queen. Without a second thought, she streaked two lanes in, paused to turn around, then jumped at the massive barrier. Shaking and panting, she stood with her head drooping to where her wounded child's tail brushed the ground.

Seeing that Shade was only staring at her, she decided to move along down the wall. She couldn't climb it, the wall was too high and sleek, especially for a declawed cat holding a kitten. So that left her with the choice of pressing against the wall and moving cautiously.

Shade still wasn't coming. Had she given up?

Nope, Shade was waiting for the perfect window of time to cross. She made a feeble attempt one lane in, but failed and jumped back in the grass when a car zoomed by her. Dawn was escaping, so now was a better time than never. Gathering up everything she had, Shade ran sideways instead of straight at the road. She ran messily and sly, but she stopped to pause at the different lanes and to crouch whenever a car got too close. She stayed low until the cars slowed and eventually stopped, so she decided to take her time in walking over to Dawn.

“You can't keep running forever, Dawn! I have eyes all over the land, anywhere you go I will find you. But you would know that, you _damn spy_. I'm afraid you cannot live after what you saw and experienced.” Shade stalked forwards, keeping her body low to the concrete. “Your life will be an honor to take. And as for your kit, i’m going to crush it under a tire.”

Dawn paused to set her reddish kitten down in front of her, she then turned to see Shade in the close distance. “You're a mad man! Your plans are ludicrous, you cannot take control of everything!” Dawn yelled, tears of frustration started to prick in her purple eyes.

“You wanna fucking watch me?! Don't you _dare_ try me, Dawn! You know what I'm capable of!” Shade yelled back in response, then stood up straight in the center of the road.

Dawn perked up her ears and turned to look at Shade, the road was deathly quiet and that was terrifying. A gentle rumble started to shake the ground whenever traffic started to move again, which caused yellow lights to flood out the area. Without warning, there was a long drawn out honk, a screech and a thump. The second the blinding light passed and the truck drove by, Shade was in the air and it was clear to see her _smack_ against the barrier. There was an indescribable cracking and popping noise, then Shade slid off of the wall and onto her side. Whenever cars drove by and lit up the wall, you could see the black lump on the side, and the long scarlet streak that trailed down the wall. It was obvious as to what just happened, Shade was hit by a truck and was dying.

Her flank looked to be mangled as she heavily breathed, her ribs were clearly broken. Parts of her collar curved over and dug into her neck, causing blood to bubble out of her mouth. Her paws scrabbled on the concrete for purchase, but all she got out of it was an ear piercing screech.

Swallowing harshly, Dawn slowly began to walk forwards. Shade had to be dead now, god knows what internal problems she was having right now. But knowing her, she _had_ to have tricks up her sleeve.

“Shade?” Dawn quietly called out, her voice barely audible from the loud cars that passed them. Shade didn't stir. Wind from fast cars gently made her fur move, but other than that, Shade laid still in the roads shoulder.

“This will never be over.” Shade rasped out, causing Dawn to step over to her side. “This queen isn't done. This is just the star-!” She furiously hacked out blood, causing her sentence to be cut off.

"Give it a break.” Dawn scoffed out.

“Go fuck yourself.” Shade weakly growled when she let her head roll. She was actually in disbelief, the queen was dying. Not so soon, this is way too soon! Panic set into Shade but she was going to be strong til she bled out on this road. “Salve regina.” _(Roughly translates to ‘Long live the queen’ in Latin)_ She bit out suddenly, her single eye was gradually glazing over.

Dawn stared down in confusion at her use of Latin, but she growled and drew a snarl. The thought of killing Shade herself popped into her head. If Shade wasn't going to die by a car, then she was going to breathe her final breath under Dawns paws. “I'll kill you myself.”

“ _You?_ _Ha!_ Don't make me laugh.” Even on her deathbed Shade was still being an asshole. No surprise there. “Kill me and you'll have a shit storm of pain comin’ for ya.”

“I'll take that risk.” Dawn reeled back on her hind legs and tucked her paws up to her chest. Suddenly, the entire situation got very real to both of them.

“I-” Shade started to wheeze. “You will regret this!” Her eye widened at Dawn's paws in the air. **_“BASTARD!”_**

Quick as lightning, Dawn snapped her paws down onto Shades neck. She pushed the teeth and claws in further and shoved all of her body weight into the death blow. Shade weakly thrashed under her and let out numerous shrieks and whines, but kicked and fought until there was a short winded pop. Blood slightly drooled down from Shades maw and onto the concrete that she laid on, the liquid puddled around her head and trailed its way over into the road and on Dawn's paws.

At long last, the queen was dead and her terror was over. At least that was what Dawn wanted to believe.


	3. Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mothers love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

It was hard to come to terms with what she had just done, but it felt so great knowing that she was free. Dawn took a step back to remove her paw off of Shades destroyed neck and stood in the blood, she gagged slightly and walked backwards to her kit, swiping off the scarlet on the rough concrete.

“Mom, i’m tired. I want to go home.” The weak voice called from behind Dawn.

She turned around to look at her injured kit and frowned. “I know, I am too.”

“Wheres dad at?”

Dawn felt her heart lurch slightly and she bit her lip. “He’s not here. He’s not coming back, don’t worry about him.” She leaned down and picked up the orange kit, then started to walk down the guard barrier. Dawns flank pressed against the wall and yellow lights lit up her skinny form as she walked, but eventually her light walk broke into a trot. Once she reached a break in the barrier she walked through it and ended up on the other side of the wall. It was hard to leave the forest, but she knew that everything was going to be worth it. It had to be. She’d gone through so much for this opportunity to leave, and here it was. Someone had to find Shades body, whoever that poor soul was, they could do whatever they wanted with it. Dawns personal suggestion was to throw her corpse into a river just to watch her sink to the depths of hell where she belonged- but that was just her.

She quickly crossed the roadway and ended up in the little dip of land that was the final stretch into the outskirts of the city. She skidded her way down the hill cautiously, then walked up the other side of it to the top while hauling her young child up along with her.

She started to walk down the opposite side of the hill, keeping a sharp eye out for people or other animals. After a bit of walking she ended up in the heart of the suburban area. The neighborhood consisted of older, more rustic homes, some with driveways, some with none. But one house in particular had a short driveway with a rusty truck parked on it, this was what the mother was looking for.

Without hesitation, she trotted up the slight incline and made her way onto the wooden porch. The lights were still on both in and out of the house, so she assumed the owner was home. She set down her kitten and turned to look at her.

“Now Flare, you be a good girl for this nice man.” Dawn rounded her and pawed at a bell on a purple string that was attached to the doorknob. “He’ll take good care of you.” Once she batted the golden bell a few times, the door opened to reveal a tall man with dark brown hair and soft auburn eyes. He looked to be in his early 20’s, clearly a college student judging by his living conditions.

Dawn looked at Flare then up at the man, she gave him a look that practically spoke for itself, then nudged her kitten forward. He crouched down and hesitantly reached outwards, almost as if he was asking for the parents consent to touch her child. Dawn started to turn around once he picked up Flare to hold her. The golden cat jumped off of the porch and decided to cut through the grass, she paused in the center of the yard to look back at the two.

The man held her kitten in his arms, Flare looked so utterly confused as to what was happening, but Dawn knew she wouldn't understand. She flicked her tail then ran off into the night, presumably in the direction of the main city. She decided that living alone forever was a good choice, because the paranoia of what Shade meant was dragging her down. Shade had cats everywhere, word would get around that Shade was dead and Dawn was the killer. Dawn cursed herself for killing Shade, this would absolutely come back to kick her ass one day, she was sure of it.

But for now, Flare was in a safe home and that was all that mattered. At least her child would have a fighting chance. She walked for what seemed like a good hour through woodland, but she eventually came across where the city started. Taking a deep breath, she headed into the city and vanished into the dark alley ways to live out her life in the shadows.

x X x

Well this sucked. Raiding through trash cans to survive wasn't what Dawn had planned for her future. But yet here she was, face first in a metal tin full of garbage trying to find scraps of food. After a while of digging through trash, she accidentally ended up knocking the entire thing over very loudly. The lid clattered around on concrete which was followed by the entire container spilling out its contents everywhere. She tumbled out of the bin and coughed at the wretched stench.

Dawn shook her dirty pelt out then went right back to digging through the pile of trash. A long shadow cast it's way into the alley, caused by two people and a very bright street lamp. Dawn looked at the land ahead of her and froze. Wow, being caught by animal control just added onto the list of things that made her life worse.

The two people stood at the entrance of the alleyway, they stood with locked arms, but the tallest seemed to be holding something out. Dawn squinted and turned her head around, but was quickly met with a loud bang and a shooting pain that ran through her head. She collapsed backwards into the junk pile with a faint noise, she didn't even register that she had been shot, considering she didn't even know what a gun was.

Her indigo eyes were wide as she laid on her side, there was a hole ripped clean through her forehead which caused blood to stream from it and to pool around her head. The crimson fluid stained the ground and the garbage that she laid on, this caused the two men to laugh and grin. Without looking back, they carried on their way down the illuminated city streets.

Dawn laid still in the heap of trash, she was dead before she knew what had happened. Somewhere around her there was a heavy laugh and a smooth voice.

_“Did you think I wouldn't stick around long enough to see you get shot dead by the man who made me what I am? Welcome to hell, bitch.”_

x X x

Plush bed, good food and decent living conditions were what Flare had. Key word being had. After the first couple years of living in this house things went downhill fast. Once Flare had her kitten suddenly, her owner hadn't been the most supportive. He hated the child and grew to hate Flare for giving him another thing to worry about and pay for. He drank and laid around a lot, all while developing the bad habit of skipping his classes constantly.

Flare never questioned why her mother left her at such a young age because she had more important things to worry about. She had a daughter of her own to take care of now, and no father to help raise her. Even by herself, Flare swore that she would be a good mother and that she would never leave her kits side before she was ready.

She slept sometimes, it was a good way to pass the time. She laid in a tattered woven basket with an old purple blanket that sat atop a dresser next to a window. Flare wore an indigo collar that matched the color of the cloth, while her kitten had a red one that was very loosely attached. Her calico colored kit slept curled up against her stomach, with her mother's fluffy tail curled protectively around her.

The man who owned the house stepped out of the hallway and into the kitchen. He grabbed a bowl and poured cereal in it and made his breakfast, then went to go sit on his love seat tan sofa. Milk, cereal, an orange and a beer didn't seem like the most ideal breakfast, but it worked for him.

Flare looked up from her bed to glance over the sofa and to look at the small flat screen TV. He had a news channel on which she didn't understand at all, but the visuals didn't make the situation look very good, judging by the storm clouds and lightning bolts. He took a bite of his cereal then changed the channel to football without a second thought.

Her stomach rumbled which caused her kitten to let out a soft noise of annoyance. The tiny cat pushed herself up in a sitting position, then leaned over to lay awkwardly on her mother's hind leg. She let out another soft noise and buried her nose in her mother's long fur. The kitten was quite noisy, which was why Flare named her Squeak. An obnoxious and non threatening name, but it was one that Flare thought worked.

The mother scooted around to get Squeak to tumble down off of her, she then stood up to shake her pelt. Flare picked up Squeak by her red collar, leapt onto the windowsill, then down onto the shaggy carpet with a huff.

Flare set her down on the floor, then waved her fluffy tail as a signal to follow her. The two transitioned from carpet from flooring to cold tile side by side, then clawed the wood cabinet softly to get the man's attention. They got no response.

Squeak sat down on the tile and looked up expectantly to her mom, Flare sat down as well and wrapped her tail around the kitten so she could snuggle into her tail. “I’m hungry.” Squeak mewed softly and sneezed.

Flare frowned and shook her head. “I am too.” She glanced down at the split open cardboard beer case that was their makeshift food ‘dish’ and sighed. The man on the sofa didn’t move at all, he kept watching his show while he took steady sips of his beer. He was so focused on his game that he didn't hear Flares scratching whenever she did it a second time. Flare let out a huff of annoyance and narrowed her eyes in his direction.

She was just about to give up and try to raid the cabinets if she could, but a loud shriek sounded from behind her. The owner jumped up out of his seat and threw his hands in the air and yelled while furiously pointing at the television. Flares hackles instantly shot up and she whipped around to see what had happened. The man was laughing and smiling to himself over his game, but Flare couldn’t figure out why. Now was a better time than never, she went back to the cabinet and scratched it again.

It took a second, but he turned around and looked to see Flare with a pissed off expression next to the beer case. He groaned and downed the rest of his drink, then chucked the glass bottle at the two cats. It hit the wood with a smash and shattered all around the kitchen floor. Flare grabbed Squeaks collar and jumped away before they could be injured by it, she then stood on shaky legs and stared at the broken glass with wide eyes.

Flare hissed at him and jumped around the broken remains then made her way over to the food bag that was propped against the wall. He wants to be stubborn? Fine. She could fend for herself. Examining the bag, she decided her best option would be to slash it open. That's fine, works for her. The man didn’t even realize what he had done, he went right back to sitting down so he could peel his orange. The mother took a look back to her kit and sighed, _right._

She nosed the bag off the wall so it could fall flat, once it did she grabbed the top of it and started to drag it around the kitchen island with her teeth. Squeak looked over at her and cautiously trotted over to her mother, she carefully avoided the visible glass that was scattered on the floor. Flare ended up bumping into Squeak slightly by brushing her hind leg against the small cats front.

“I’m scared.” Squeak mewed and stepped aside so Flare could easily set the bag down out of the man's sight. Flare let her head droop as she listened to her kit. “I’m hungry.” The mother placed her paw in the middle of the bag and pulled back, letting her claws tear through the plastic easily. She repeated this action numerous times until she had a good amount scratched, then bit into it and pulled it back to reveal the colorful food pellets inside.

Upon seeing the food, Squeak instantly climbed her way up on the bag and dove right into eating. Flare took a seat next to her and tore another hole in the bag which allowed some of the pellets to spill out onto the tile. It drew a bit of noise, which slightly alerted the man on the sofa. But in all honesty, he didn’t care. Flare knew that he didn’t care too much, but for her and her kits safety, she took precautions. He was too focused on that game, he was watching it so intently that everything around him practically ceased to exist. _Let him watch his show_. Flare thought to herself. _The only thing he needs to be watching is his health_. She smiled at her own witty comment.

“Momma? Are you going to eat too?” Squeak asked, raising her head after practically inhaling food. Flare shook her head to clear out her previous thoughts. She smiled and nodded then settled down by tucking her paws under her chest, and curling her tail around her fluffy body. The two ate steadily and in silence, eating their food at their own paces. It started to rain outside which caused Flare to slightly flinch, she turned around to look at the back door and to watch the rain fall gently through the small window.

She didn’t think much of it, it’s been raining a lot recently for some reason. All she cared about right now was feeding herself and her kit. Flare stared at the food in front of her and thought about what she was eating. Little colorful hard pellets that came in different shapes in a bag.

Appetizing.

She was getting distracted again. Taking one last glance to the stormy window, she sighed and stuffed her face with food.

It couldn’t be that bad of a storm.


	4. Damaged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When everything around you is damaged, save what matters most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

The storm carried on all throughout the night, lightning shook their house and struck down power lines. Flare held on tight to her shaking child, the owner didn't like it when they slept anywhere but in the basket. The bright flashes outside their window cast shadows onto their sleeping forms, keeping the mother and daughter awake. Flare tried to sleep, but she had to keep Squeak calm. 

“Rest.” Flare cooed and licked Squeaks tiny head.

“It's loud.” Squeak rasped out. Thunder cracked outside and Squeak shot up from her spot to stare out the window with wide eyes. “My ears hurt.” she spoke, hackles raised. “Momma, I'm scared.”

Flare frowned and pushed herself up in a sitting position to look at Squeak. “I'm sorry.” she choked out, not knowing what else to do. After a while of thunder and lightning, sirens started to join in on the blaring noises. Looking out the window, Flare could see the neighbors behind their house struggling to flee their homes. Doors and garages flew open, people ran out, got into their cars, and were gone without even closing the door. 

Flare licked her paw and drew it across her face, slightly rubbing her eyes in disbelief. Out of nowhere, their owner came rushing around the corner and into the kitchen, his raggedy converse skidded on the glass, but he caught himself on the counter. His auburn hair was messy, he was hopping around on one leg trying to pull on his jacket with untied shoelaces, all while scrabbling to find his keys.

Flare watched him scramble around messily, he carried his backpack and was shoving stuff from the pantry into it, but he couldn't seem to locate his keys. The reddish cat tilted her head and jumped whenever the house was lit up by close striking lightning. That seemed to trigger something in the man's head, he located the keys on the coffee table then flung the front door open and slammed it forcefully. 

The two cats watched in awe as their owner vanished, his truck's headlights shone through the living room and kitchen windows when he backed up, he then sped off in the direction of the freeway. Sirens continued to scream outside, which lead into Squeak crying and whining in distress. 

Flare pressed her cheek against the rainy glass window and sighed, he had to come back soon. He couldn't just leave them here to die, but that was exactly what he was doing. They never saw their owner again after that. As of right now, Flare didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Judging by the harsh conditions outside, it was quickly proving itself to be bad. She swallowed and looked around the house from her perch to see what she had to work with. Nothing. Absolutely nothing but windows and the food bag. The mother sighed and started to plan for the worst, she would ration their food until they ran out and they resulted to eating the sofa foam, _alright that works._ She mentally decided. 

The storm didn't stop, it kept on getting worse and worse, while the sirens only seemed to get louder. Flare could tell something was wrong whenever she felt the ground under her paws start to quiver, taking a glance around, she realized everything was falling down around her. Framed pictures fell off of walls and tables, shattering on impact. The cabinets flew open which caused their contents to shower over the kitchen, and in the midst of it all, Squeak was still crying.

“Momma I'm scared!” 

Flare whipped her head around to survey the destruction, she could see the houses along her street were falling and windows were blasting out, so she acted fast. Grabbing Squeaks collar and nape, she started to butt her shoulder into the glass window. Each time her shoulder hit the glass, it cracked slightly along the wood and panes. With one last bout of force, she shattered the glass and tumbled out of the house at an awkward angle. 

Squeak yelped when Flares grip loosened on her and she was sent flying in the long, uncut grass. Squeak collided harshly with the ground, but her fall was cushioned by soft blades of grass and cyan flowers. The kitten laid in place for a moment before regaining her balance and standing up to stare at the wreckage in front of her. Her mixed eyes widened at the sight of the destruction, the house was missing parts of its roof, windows and doors were hanging out, and some parts of the support were knocked over. 

“Mom?” Squeak started then started to walk forwards. “Mother?” she called again, taking light paw steps to avoid stepping in shattered glass. 

__

_“Your mother is fine. Let me take care of this.”_

Squeak jumped at the sudden voice, she reeled around in a circle, trying to figure out where it had come from. “Hello?” She shrunk down upon not hearing a response, her small hackles raised and she started to shake. 

One positive thing was the earthquake ended as fast as it started, their area was now quiet, the sudden destruction struck silence throughout the remaining creatures. 

Flare laid still under the destruction, her legs and bottom half were covered up by splintered wood from the walls and she had a bloody nose. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing unsteadily out of her mouth. Her ears laid flat against her head, while her body was mostly motionless under the rubble. 

“Mother?” The calico kitten called again and got closer. 

_“Do you not understand what ‘she's fine’ means? Let me work to save her, you foolish child.”_

Squeak sat down in front of her mother's face and crouched to lick her head while gently purring. “Ok.” she mewed out and waited.

x X x

When Flare came to she was in a building, she was facing a set of large doors with golden handles that looked ridiculously large from her angle on the floor. Flare tried to move, but then realized she was practically frozen in place- she couldn't move anything but her eyes and mouth. 

“Hello?” Flare asked loudly, her voice slightly echoed off the surrounding walls.

_“You look great!”_

Flare blinked at the flattery then realized she had control of her upper body, she pushed herself up and looked around. “Where am I? I believe my legs are stuck, can you help me?” 

_“I've been helping you for a while now, so i'll keep that up!”_

Flare sensed a presence behind her, then she felt two heavy paws press down on her limp hind legs. The orange cat whipped around to see a large black and white cat sitting behind her, blue fire was surging from her paws and seeping into Flares numb legs. She drew a frown and widened her eyes at the cat's disfigured and mangled half face. She looked horrifying, but Flare knew it was in her best bet to not comment. The long haired cat turned back around and laid down on her stomach with her paws extended in front of her. 

_“I know you have questions, and i’d love to answer them, but I must fix this first.”_

Flare swallowed and nodded then let the other work in silence while she stared at the floor. “That's fire, right? How is it not hurting me? And why do you have fire paws!? Who are you!” She piped up, but kept her head on the floor.

_"Stories for another time, don't worry about me. How's your legs feeling?”_

“Where am I? Where is my daughter!?”

The bigger cat narrowed her eye and stepped off of her legs to round in front of her, Flares entire body stilled again. 

_“I'm going to send you back now, your leg will be wobbly for a while, but fight through the pain.”_

“Do I owe you anything?” Flare asked while she tried to move.

The large feline looked down at her and shook her head. 

_“Take care of the little one for me.”_

Flare felt a shudder ripple through her body at the she cats echoing voice. Her smooth tone and language was quite unnerving, it made her feel as if it was just her and the other in the world. “Can I look around?”

_“You must get back to your daughter, she's quite terrified that you died.”_

“How?!” Flare exclaimed and bit out a bit harsher than she meant to. She saw Shade narrow her single cyan eye and scowl. “I- I'll figure out how to get home.” 

_“Don't bother. Hang in there, Flare.”_

Flare suddenly had full sense of her body, she shot upwards to stand, and realized how massive Shade actually was. The black cat towered over Flare by a few visible inches, she smirked and sat down. Flare backed up a bit and let her head hang slightly, she pressed her ears against the back of her head out of fear.

The two stared at each other for a moment, blue eyes meeting green, a queen meeting a peasant, a god meeting a mortal. 

_“Bow.”_

The large cat commanded quickly, and Flare immediately obeyed. In her adult years she's never met another cat besides Squeak, so this was _terrifying. Is everyone like this?_ She couldn't help but think. _No, cats don't control painless fire and have healing powers- what are you?_

When Flare bowed forwards, she didn't know the appropriate time to stop, but she assumed it was whenever the ground cracked in front of her and under her paws. “What's happening!?” she yelped when it continued to crack under her, enough to where she lost her footing and fell into the ground opening.  


_“I'm sending you back. Think of all of this as a bad dream.”_

Flare let out a yell as she fell into the blackness under the building, when she looked up the cat was staring down the closing gap. “Help me!”

_“I already have!”_

When she fell, she screamed and screamed until it hurt, meaning this was also how she woke up. Legs crushed under a door and wooden beams, her head shot up and she quickly inhaled while letting her scream die out.

Squeak jumped up and back onto a small pile of rubble, her hackles were raised and her tail was puffed up. “Mom!” She yelped cheerfully then quickly ran to nuzzle Flares fluffy neck and chin. Flare was still in shock coming to terms with what just happened, but she wasn't in excruciating pain. She moved her legs and realized she could wiggle out of the confinement, so that's exactly what she did.

“Move, sweetheart.” The mother mewed and Squeak cautiously stepped aside to allow the other to drag herself free. She scratched and clawed her way to freedom, then stretched all of her legs individually with a slight pop.

“What now?” Squeak asked and tilted her head. Flare raised her head and examined the area, parts of the fence had been knocked down which gave her a slight glimpse of the world beyond her backyard. Through the broken fence she could see other houses that had been knocked down and damaged, it was eerily quiet in their neighborhood. 

“We keep moving. Well find others and get help.” Flare declared, then started to trot over to the fence. She was doing fine, until a shooting pain jolted up her right hind leg. The feline yelped and stumbled slightly, but caught herself before she fell completely. Squeak looked up in sympathy to her struggling mother, but walked in front so Flare could keep an eye on her. The kitten clambered over the (now mostly broken and stubby) fence, and landed on the other side. Squeak turned around to watch Flare easily step over the destroyed white wood, she then nodded and bounded forwards.

“Don't stray too far ahead, we don't know if it's safe or not.” Flare mewed and followed slowly behind. 

Squeak was frolicking around in a circle, appreciating how the soft grass felt under her paws. With every step Squeak took Flare slightly flinched, she was awfully worried that she'd step on something painful. “It's beautiful, momma!” Squeak chirped and tumbled downwards into the gentle green blades.

They were currently walking through an unoccupied house lot, clearly it was planned to have a home built on it, but as of right now those plans seemed cancelled. But because nothing was on or near it, the ground was mostly clean so they traveled across it safely.

“Where to!” Squeak exclaimed then sprung up to look at her mother. “Oh, mother! The world is endless! Where will we go next!?” she piped up then ran up to Flare and circled around her legs. 

That was a question Flare didn't know the answer to, she raised her head to sniff, which lead her sights to the slight hill which dipped down into the forest and city edge. Whatever she had picked up smelled of musky copper, curious as to what it was, she limped astray from the other and peered down the hill.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight, what she saw was traumatizing to say the least. Scattered down the hill were bodies- _corpses._ Her heart instantly started to beat faster and faster with every passing second, it took everything she had not to scream and run home. But she had no home anymore, she had to keep going for the sake of her and her kit. Swallowing harshly, she turned to look at Squeak who was sitting in the grass with her head tilted. 

“What is it?”

Flare froze and her hackles quickly raised, she fully whipped around then rushed over to block Squeaks sight. “Nothing. There's absolutely nothing there.” She bit back tears and frowned. “ _Please_ don't look- i'm going to get us out of this.” 

Flare looked behind her to the hill, she wanted to get to the city. In the city she knew that she could find others to help her, but she realized that off to the right there was a small house on the edge of the woods. Perking her ears, she picked up Squeak by her collar then started to walk over to it. 

“Keep your eyes closed.” She muttered quietly and began to head down the hill, while the calico kitten obeyed and closed her eyes. One step after another, she was avoiding the corpse the best that she could. Her eyes were glued to the blood, but it kept going down the hill- _kittens._

She stopped and froze, her jaw slacked and Squeak ended up plopping into the grass. “Oh my goodness.” Flare breathed out. 

It was much worse than just one or two, it was an entire family. The biggest feline laid near the top of the hill while her tiny kittens were scattered downwards. Upon examining and staring, she realized that they were all murdered in very gruesome ways. The mother's stomach was cut open and had severe scars over her eyes, while her kittens appeared to be killed by blunt force or head trauma. Flares stomach turned when the thought of that being her and Squeak came to mind. 

She threw up in the grass, the scent and sight being too much for her to handle. Squeak tried to turn around, but she was quickly shielded by Flares dainty paw. Flare started to quiver while she dry heaved up the rest, but as she emptied out the contents of her stomach she couldn't shake away the fear that they weren't alone. The faint scent of others in the area only seemed to prove this theory more.

It made her wonder if she'd last the day.


	5. Don't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't make it seven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

The pair of cats gradually made their way over to the house on the edge of the woods that Flare had seen, it looked like a run down log cabin with a ragged front porch. The area around it looked like a makeshift war zone, there were clear traps in the trees, and all along the forest line was thick barbed wire. But tangled in the rows of sharp rope was a bluish tomcat, he looked to have died only recently for his life threatening wounds were still fresh and bleeding. He had a collar on as well, but Flare didn't recognize him, he looked like a lost house cat who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She wished him well and guided Squeak away from the bleeding cat.

Flare began to make a mental count of how many lives had been lost in such a short period of time.

Five. A mother, her kittens, and this stranger.

Squeak bravely wandered closer to the houses stairs, she bounced on the rotting wood when it creaked under her fragile paw pads. Flare sniffed the stairs before making her way up them as well, she managed to get her front paws on the wood, but when she tried to pick up her back ones they stilled and she stumbled. 

With a rasp she laid beaten on the stairs, her lungs screamed for a well deserved break. Inside had to be worse, everything around her was gross and rotting, the stench of spoiled meat hit her nose and she shuddered. She couldn't even pick up Squeaks scent and she was right in front of her, either she had lost her sense of smell, or these disgusting fumes were really starting to get to her. 

“Are you okay?” Squeak asked then went to touch her nose to her mother's.

Flare hated to admit it but she was really getting tired of hearing that, did she _look okay?!_ “Let's just get inside.” She mewed then forced her body to stand up, despite the aching pain. Flare made it up the stairs quick enough, then reached out a paw to test the door- it didn't budge.

She snorted then narrowed her eyes and flattened her ears against her head. Taking a glance aside, she realized that both the windows along the front had been blown out due to the impact of the earthquake, but this also meant glass was all along the area. 

“Be careful, i'm going to get you up to that window and I want you to climb in.” The mother bent her head down then picked up Squeak by her collar and tried to avoid the glass when she made her way over to the window. 

After accidentally stepping on glass shards and hissing, Flare made her way over to the nearest window and craned her neck so Squeak could scrabble up to the window. 

“T..there's glass up here…” Squeak mewed then shrunk down and sheathed her claws. Flare pushed her forwards again, but this time Squeak managed to get on the window sill.

“Step over it and get inside.”

“It's a high fall…” Squeak turned around to look at her mother with wide eyes. “I don't think I can…” 

Flare had enough, her pelt was prickling out of stress and her paws were burning from walking and stepping on foreign objects. Not to mention a door fell on her hind legs. It made her ponder the thought of that odd creature she encountered earlier who had helped her.

Squeak stepped over the glass slowly, one paw after another, she avoided the remaining large fragments. 

“Good girl! Get inside and I'll follow.” Flare mewed and watched as Squeaks white tipped tail vanished when she fell into the house. There was a slight yelp which concerned Flare, but it was her turn now. 

She took two good leaps to make her way on the rotted wood, then jumped awkwardly into the house to make sure she wouldn't fall on Squeak. Squeak stood shaking, surrounded by glass shards and ruined carpet. 

“I can't get to you…” The kitten rasped out and spun around in place, trying to see where she could go. Flare decided that there was no other way, she brushed aside the visible shattered remains, then took cautious steps to grab her kits collar and pull her to safety. “There's something in my paw, momma, it hurts!” 

Squeak had been surprisingly calm this entire trip, so Flare frowned and sat down to examine her child's injury. Sure enough, in the middle of her biggest pad there was a visible piece of glass stuck in the middle of it. Flare cringed slightly then leaned down to gently pull it out with her front teeth. She discarded the glass off to the side then licked the injury clean. 

After taking care of that minor fiasco, she looked around the room. It was a small house, possibly a woodland vacation home. There was a living room, a kitchen, and a cracked open door which she assumed led into the bedroom. In the center of the living room was a tattered sofa with patches and rips with stuffing coming out of it, a coffee table, and a T.V stand. Glancing around the sofa, she realized that the refrigerator had been knocked over, its doors were open and all the contents had been spilled on the tile. This also explained the stench of rotting meat, from what she could piece together she realized the home must have belonged to a hunter. It was weird though, considering that there was no large game anywhere in the area. 

The sofa was still standing which comforted her, she trotted over and jumped up on the sofa then got comfy on a pillow. Lying down felt fantastic for her hind legs, she let them stretch out and breathe on the plush couch. Squeak was exploring around the room, sniffing and getting into anything that was within reach. 

“Please stay where I can see you, we don’t know this land.” Flare couldn't help but feel like she was trespassing, considering what she had previously saw. The family, that tom, that's five lives that were lost. _Don’t make it seven._

The tiny calico was exploring the T.V set, the apparent flat screen had been knocked over on its side and was almost like a ramp, so Squeak clambered up it and stood on the dresser. “Momma! Look at me!” She chirped and swayed her tail behind her back. Flare raised her head up from her resting spot to look at her child, she smiled at her kits enthusiasm. 

“I see you.” Flare purred and nodded. Squeak turned around then slid down the knocked over T.V, she tumbled on the water stained carpet and giggled. Pushing herself up, Squeak looked around then caught a glimpse of something behind the wooden stand. She walked over to it and poked her head through the gap between the dresser and the wall. 

She caught sight of what looked to be a pair of yellow eyes, out of curiosity, she put a paw into the shadow. The second she got closer she was met with cruel claws that lashed forward and caught onto her ear. Squeak let out a sudden yelp then backed up so fast that she fell on her haunches. 

Flare shot her head up at her kits noise of distress, she scrambled off of the pillow then hobbled her way over to Squeak. Squeak was fine, mostly, she sat up shaking in shock. Whatever that had just attacked her tore a good chunk of delicate flesh out of her left ear. The cut was bleeding profusely, and Flare didn't know what to do with the situation at hand. 

“It's alright, let's get out of here…” She leaned down to clean the wound by licking it, but the instant she made contact with the injury, Squeak crumbled downwards to avoid the touch. Flare took a glance behind her at the window surrounded by glass, she really didn't want to go through that horror show again- but what other choice did she have?

She nuzzled the back of Squeaks head and got her to start walking towards the windows, but at this point she was practically pushing the kitten across the dirty floor with her muzzle. “Come on! We need to leave!!” She hissed out. 

Flare made the mistake to look behind her, she caught sight of the creature that had attacked Squeak behind the dresser and visibly flinched. It was a cat, and from what Flare saw in her quick look of the feline- she could tell they meant business. 

“Please, we mean no harm.” Flare mumbled then scooted the window glass away with a swipe of her paw. “We'll be on our way now.” she glanced up to the window sill then realized the glass was mostly all gone- it wasn't like that before. Flare gritted her teeth together whenever her hind legs locked in place again, she swore they were getting worse. Her front legs shook when she tried to support her body weight by leaning forwards on them, her green eyes were drooping in exhaustion and all she wanted to do was rest. 

The rotting scent was fading from her nostrils, but it was quickly replaced with the overwhelming stench of many different cats all mixing together at once. It was clear to her that more and more cats were arriving, as if they came up out of thin air. Had they been here the entire time? Possibly. Her senses were being scrambled with every passing second. 

It all grew quiet when she heard two clearly distinct voices from on the porch, the rickety steps creaked as they walked. Everything seemed to freeze around her so she could listen to the conversation. She tuned into what they were saying when a rough voice came into her hearing range. 

“This isn't enough food to feed half of us.”

Flare flattened her ears and stared up with wide eyes when a smooth voice replied.

“If they want something, they can go get it themselves. Survival of the fittest.”

“Whatever.”

The creaking wood got louder, then two gray cats swiftly jumped up on the window sill. They stared down upon her in a crouching position from the jump, and Flare felt her heart skip a beat. 

Whatever bickering the two toms were doing on the other side of the wall came to an abrupt halt when they saw the two orange cats, the lithe one with slanted yellow eyes and a smooth voice spoke up.

“Well, well, well.” He hummed then looked to his companion beside him. “What do we have here?” 

Flare took a step back and stood her ground over Squeak, preparing herself for a hard exit. While the two toms were both gray, they looked nothing alike. The one sitting on the right had curled up fur tips with an exquisite chest design, paired with glorious golden eyes. The other looked to be a Maine Coon, but with a defined chest and cheeks, all of this was accompanied by dull green eyes and at rough voice to match.

“Now how did you two get in here?” The bigger feline spoke up. “Wire cleaned up the glass only recently, are you injured?” he called downwards then pushed his legs up to stand. 

Flare gave a quaint nod. 

“Please, we were just looking for a place to stay. We're so exhausted.” Flare mewed and let herself relax a bit. 

“It's miraculous you two survived.” Flare caught sight of the tabbies glinting claws, and she couldn't help but gawk at the red liquid that covered them. “I thought we got all of the house cats?” he asked then raised an eyebrow at the tom beside him. 

Upon hearing that and seeing the blood on him, Flare wondered if he meant that it was miraculous that they survived the earthquake- or survived _him._ Even though everything was going through her head at once, her main thought stuck with her. 

_Don't make it seven._


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At least you tried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

Flare stood on shaking legs as she stared at the pair of cats above her, then noticed that more and more felines were gradually starting to make their way into the living room. Cats of all different shapes, sizes and colors appeared out of what seemed like nowhere- Flare blamed herself for not realizing the trap sooner.

“You're trespassing on our land. Could you not tell by the hell outside that we don't like visitors?” The tabby hissed then leapt off to the side, smoothly avoiding the remaining glass. “Wire. Clean this mess up.” 

A bigger cat scrambled out from the corner of the room, Flare watched as he swiped the debris away with his massive tail. He looked like one big ball of gray fuzz, she didn't even think he was an actual cat. Quick as he came out he was gone, vanishing back into the corner of the rooms shadows.

“We don't appreciate trespassers.” The elegant tom mewed and lifted his head, showing off his chest fur and standing with exaggerated posture. Squeak sneezed and his curled ears shot up, he drew a smile upon seeing the blood dripping down the side of the kittens face and ear. “What happened here?” 

“One of your hooligans did it.” Flare snapped and stepped forward to hide Squeak under her.

“Which one? I can name three off the top of my head.” He replied with a smile.

Flare wanted to argue back, she wanted to scream in his face and curse the day he was born, but a noise off to the side caught her attention.

Up on the wall shelving planks was what appeared to be two cats, she watched them climb down from their perch one piece of wood at a time, till the wood shattered under one. The cat crashed through the shelf and collapsed on the floor, but was followed down by the other who jumped. 

“Idiots.” The skinny tom in front of Flare snapped and rolled his yellow eyes. The green eyed feline jumped down as well, he raised his head to examine the two cats by the wall.

“The names Rasha.” The regal cat with golden eyes mewed suddenly and smirked. Flare flinched at his change in tone.

“Flare.”

“Lovely.”

“Let us out.” Flare bit out again, this time baring her small fangs.

“I'm afraid I cannot let that happen, I don't know what you'll do or who you'll become if you leave.” The larger cat added on then jumped up on the television stand, this drew out the brown she cat who attacked Squeak to stand in the barely visible lighting. 

“Are you suggesting..?” The cat who fell from the shelf spoke quietly from his spot on the floor. The one next to him helped him up to his paws. “Must you shed so much blood in one evening?” he tilted his head.

“It's cool, I can't wait til we're old enough to help him!” The standing cat perked up and swayed his tail over his back, Flare noticed that the one who fell seemed to be missing his tail, he appeared to have a bob. Then it hit her, they had to be brothers. When they stood side by side she could see their brown pelts and warm colored eyes. The cat who had fallen was shorter and had freckles with golden eyes, the other was a tabby with energetic orange eyes.

Rasha took a step forwards which caused Flare to step back, he smiled to himself again. He continued to back her up until she nearly went under the coffee table, Flare stopped moving and stood her ground. 

“Get under the couch.” She rasped, not breaking her stare with the golden eyes in front of her. Squeak rustled under her, but didn't go anywhere. 

“Momma?” The kitten mumbled and looked up to the dark orange fur. 

“You heard her!!” The she cat who tore Squeaks ear yelled suddenly then raised up her claws to laugh. Squeak yelped slightly then scrambled under the torn up sofa. 

“ _Sunset._ ” The tom on the dresser snarled then whipped his head to face her off to the side of him. Her expression deadpanned and she sat down, while another cat emerged from her previous spot to sit beside her. 

Flares fur bristled and she turned to face the gray tabby again. “Were leaving.” she snapped and flattened her ears against her head. 

He nodded and unsheathed his claws then pushed his face into hers. “Try.” 

The Maine Coon up on the wooden stand spoke up before the two of them got a chance to move. “She's wounded. It isn't a fair fight.” He blinked then shook his head. 

“It is if she attacks first!” Rasha yelled back in response then walked forwards more which pushed Flare to go between the sofa and the table. “Huh? What are you gonna do! Try to kill me!” He yelled in her face, Flare flinched and squeezed her eyes shut. “Are you even aware that you're capable of ending my life right where you stand!?” 

“Rasha! Enough!” The large cat yelled out again, but the tom kept pushing Flare. 

“Keep going!” The taller brother yelped, only to be muffled by his sibling. He shot the yellow eyed tom a look of confusion but the shorter held a defeated stare with him til he was shoved off by the brown tabby. While the taller was larger, he was actually the youngest. They were twins, born minutes apart. “Don't give up this chance for us, Dirt.” The striped tom mumbled to the freckled, his name being appropriate to his spotted fur. 

Squeak watched with wide, mismatched eyes from under the sofa, until she felt it creak. From the pressure of the added weight, she felt like she was being trapped under it. Out of absolute fear of being crushed to death, she dragged herself out into the open. Quick as lightning, jaws clamped on her collar and hauled her up on the sofa. She let out a surprised choking noise when this happened, but it was over quickly and she was dropped on the cushions. Looking up she noticed it was the she cat who had attacked her only moments ago, the world was practically spinning around her and she felt sick. 

“Front row view!” The yellow tom cat chimed in from his spot atop the couch. The other feline, who Flare assumed to be his partner, laid down next to Squeak and held her close to her stark white chest. Squeak shuddered and pushed her head down to where her chin touched the cushion, she was learning quickly to keep her head down and to not make eye contact. 

Flare started to flex her claws now, she dug the dull tips into the carpet and kneaded it out of frustration. Rasha kept backing her up, ignoring the pained cries from her kit. After seeing the two cats on the sofa and her kit, Flare lashed out and caught his nose. She continuously kept swiping and hitting with all her might, then got him back to where they once were. Her blows didn't do much but knick fur and scrape flesh, but it was enough to leave him shocked.

He shook his fur out and snarled, then lunged for Flare. His front paws shoved on her shoulders and pushed her back, she reeled on her hind legs then hit the table with her head before crashing to the ground with a surprised yelp. Knowing that this was now a fair fight, everyone remained quiet and watched this happen. Not understanding what was going on, Squeak continued to yelp, she tried to turn away, but the she cat held her steady in place. 

Rasha quickly went to snapping at Flares throat, his goal was to tear the collar off and pierce the sensitive skin under it. The mother continued to scratch and kick, she scrabbled her hind claws on his belly which after a moment made him cry out in pain. Once he had enough, he got one last yank on her collar and tore back. The tabby slightly skidded on the carpet, but caught himself and realized he had torn off her heart I.D tag instead of anything important. 

Freed from being pinned, Flare jumped up then shot a frightened look to the leader. He met her green eyes with his, blinked, then turned away when the kitten yelled again. 

Full of hatred and a need to fight, Rasha jumped again, this time he snapped his mouth on her collar. Knowing he had full grasp on her, Flare started to beg and plead. “W- wait! No!” She froze then continued to scratch at him with her dull claws. Rasha moved to raise his paw up slightly, out of true fear Flare tucked her hind legs in then pushed them out at his soft underbelly. 

Rasha huffed and got choked up when his stomach was hit, Flare followed through with the kick to where the gray tom tumbled backwards and knocked his head on the floor. Flare involuntarily screeched when her stiff legs moved so suddenly, the sharp objects and pain quickly reminded her that he had the upper hand no matter what. He laid on his back stunned, his jaws were moving idly as an attempt to get the air back into him. Rashas golden eyes were wide with the pupils slit, he stared straight up at the ceiling while his legs twitched. 

Flare took his shock to her advantage, she pushed herself up off the floor then gave another look to Lash. Begging, _pleading_ that he'd step up to say something. He bit his bottom lip and chewed on it with his teeth, then turned his head away to avoid her glare again. The mother's ears went flat against her head as she watched her opponent regain consciousness and roll over. 

His left shoulder blade looked badly wrenched out of place from the impact, he struggled and shook out his pelt to regain his footing. Once up and less dizzy, his tongue licked the inside of his mouth and ran it over his teeth, only to realize there was a gap. His low eyelids raised up quickly whenever he realized what happened. Pulling his head back and gagging, he began to cough out blood which was followed by a small tooth that was neatly ripped out of place. 

The surrounding cats all froze to gasp, even Lash, who sat high up on his own high horse upon the dresser. Rasha whipped around to face Flare, his eyes were practically burning with hate and all of his fur was spiking up. “You ripped out my tooth.” He snarled, purposely keeping his mouth shut to hide his embarrassment.

Flare raised her head and lowly lashed her tail on the carpet, she gave him a victorious look. Summoning up all of her strength, she replied. “Yeah! There’ll be more where that came from!” She took a step forward, only to be matched by Rasha who did the same. 

His head lowered and his eyes narrowed, he pulled his lips up in a tight snarl, wide enough to show the bloody hole where his tooth once was. “I don't have time for this.”

He bunched his hunches together then practically exploded from his spot and collided with Flare. The two felines hit the ground hard but Rasha kept her pinned under him at all times, the tabby wasted no time when it came to getting right to his goal. 

He kept his body low against Flares throughout it all, now realizing that her hind legs were probably out of the game, he eased up and focused on her front paws. Rashas chest remained pressed flush against hers, making it next to impossible for her to push him off. 

To hide his neck from her, he buried his muzzle in her orange fur and purple collar. His fangs nipped and pulled at the collar, ripping every individual strand with great strength. The tom got impatient, he pulled his head back to completely grasp the collar in his jaws, then yanked. To his surprise, it was still tightly attached to itself, and actually hauled the somali up with it. 

Rasha managed to pull her up a lot further than he thought he would, he stared at her in delight then dropped her back down as a test. She gasped as she hit the floor and Rasha watched her entire expression change. 

“Please…” Flare breathed out and stared up at him. She cast a glance over to Squeak who was still being sheltered by the large she cat's paws, the kitten was trembling in her grasp. 

Rasha pushed himself back up and looked at Lash expectantly, the leader frowned and raised his head. Rasha braced himself, just one more… Lash quickly dipped his head and closed his eyes.

_Bingo._

Squeak watched when Lash gave the approval, her eyes went large and her jaw slacked up. Everything around her happened too fast, the way everyone's expressions changed and how her mother was leaving her so soon. The darkness of the room was getting to her, the feel of claustrophobia sunk in again and she began to panic. Her ear was throbbing and pulsing with blood, everything hurt, oh god, she was so scared. 

Rasha snapped his head down and sunk his fangs into her collar, pulled back, then smashed her head back down into the floor. He opened his mouth slightly to dig into her fur more, then repeated the process again. She let out a strangled yelp when her head collided with the dirty carpet, and he did it once more. Flare felt dizzy, she could feel a small stream of blood falling from her maw and nose. Her eyes wanted to shut, she was so tired. They fell half lidded when she watched the tom trash her violently, he pulled back far, then tossed her back down onto the floor. 

Her jaw slipped open, she lost all feeling from her shoulders up, and Rasha stepped off. She could vaguely feel herself swaying gently- was the floor moving? No, it had to be the walls. Possibly the ceiling? Flare shifted her body around to where she could lay on her side, facing the table and Lash. The side of her face and the back of her head felt warm, unsettling, yet soothingly, warm.

Lash refused to look at her. He instead turned his sights to Dirt and Dust, the two brothers who were cowering next to each other. Dirt had wide yellow eyes, his small teeth were slightly showing and he was trembling. Dust, on the other hand, was staring with little to no expression, was he admiring the kill or traumatized? 

The bigger cats grip on Squeak loosened, so she shot out of her grasp to her mother's head. She stood in the blood with shaky legs, the crimson soaked into her white legs and tail tip. Flare was still breathing, she had her mouth open and was letting out ragged breaths. Her head was tipped back, exposing her mangled neck and fur along with the ripped collar to Squeak. 

Flare blinked then shifted her head to look at her kitten, she gave a smile and closed both of her eyes. Squeak shakily walked forwards to nuzzle against her mother's cracked paw pads. Flare sighed and let her head rest. 

_Six._


	7. Endure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Find some support, find some new people to love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why am i the worst at updating? Its been two months and im horribly sorry to keep you all in wait! I have a buffer going now, expect things to be smoother from here on out. xoxo.
> 
> \---
> 
> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

Squeak didn't move for quite a while. She sat in place with her head low while she let out muffled and soft cries and whines. She wanted to stay close to her mother, she never wanted to leave her side. Blood was caking her fur and she felt disgusting, but she feared if she pulled back she would never see her again. 

Dirt and Dust couldn't even blink, frozen in shock, Lash turned to them and spoke up. “Go get Dark and Spunky, we're leaving.” The freckled cat perked up, turned to his sibling, then the two of them scampered across the living room and into a bedroom that had the door slightly cracked. “Rasha, get the kit, I don’t feel like killing more. We can find a use for her.” 

Rasha sat nearby, he flexed his claws just to admire the vibrant color that stained them. Upon being called, he raised his head to focus on Lash. “Very well, let's carry on to the city.” He stood up to get behind the calico kitten. “You heard the man, _get up_.” 

Squeak flinched at his harsh tone but turned around. “Please, sir…” Her face and eyes were red from crying and her ears were tilted back against her head. “More time…” Her frail voice trailed off. 

“ _Hell no_ , get up right now or i'll drag you out kicking and screaming.” He snarled back in response. “I’m not taking orders or pleads from a _child_ . You listen to me, you waste of air.” Rasha took a step back to give her space. 

Coughing slightly from the stench, Squeak finally backed off and looked up at Sunset and her partner on the sofa. The pair jumped off the sofa and went to terrorize Squeak.

Dirt and Dust nuzzled the door open more and slipped inside. The room was quite messy due to the quake, dressers were knocked over and miscellaneous things were scattered on the floor. Up on the bed was two cats who both laid wrapped up in a mound of blankets and sheets. A pinkish she cat had her body around her companions small black one and was rasping her tongue over the back of his head. The two were quite content and secluded in the bedroom, the door made a slight _creak_ when the brothers entered, which startled the cat's up on the bed. 

“Lash instructed us to tell you both that it's time to head out.” Dirt spoke clear and maturely, despite his young age. 

“Yeah,” Dust chimed in. “There's also some kit out there.” He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “It's pretty scary…” his voice trembled and trailed off. 

The black cat who was being sheltered by the other poked it's head up over pink fur to look at the two who stood in the doorway. He was visibly smaller than them, he was also maybe a month or two younger. His deep blue eyes were wide and full of life when he started to climb up and over the fluffy somali to get a better view. 

The elegant pink feline sat up and wrapped her long and silky tail around her paws. “A kit, you say?” she tilted her head. “Was that what all the noise was about?” she paused to gather her thoughts. “What's going on?” she questioned.

The twins stopped to look at eachother, then back to her. Dust broke their awkward stare. “Rasha killed its mother, it was thrilling-!” Dirt side bumped his brother to get him to stop talking. Dust shrunk down and flattened his ears and calmed down but let Dirt finish what he had started.

“Her mother is gone. The kit only looked to be about Darks age, maybe a bit older.” Dirt announced. 

The she cat smiled. “I’m sure I have room for one more.” she picked up Dark by his nape and smoothly jumped off the bed. Dust bounded over to the door and shoved at it to give her more room to leave. 

“ _Ah, Spunky!_ We thought you'd never leave the room! How's the fuzzball?” Rasha cooed then sashayed over to her before she even got the chance to fully step out of the doorway.

Spunkys shoulders spiked in embarrassment. She set Dark down at her paws and looked up to the tom.

“He's doing wonderfully. A bit shaken up, but I know that he’ll be an honor to raise.” she craned her head to see behind Rasha. “Where is she?” 

“It's over there by Sunset.” He flicked his tail to the large brown cat who was terrorizing the kitten.

Despite most of the cats larger sizes, they were all quite young. Some already had kits and families of their own, though. Others decided that having a family wasn't fit for them this early on, their choice was acknowledged and easily accepted. 

Spunky picked up Dark again then carried on her way around the table. Lash, who was still perched on the dresser, didn't take his eyes off of his group member. Spunky gave him a side glare as she approached Squeak. 

Spunky took a seat and put Dark down again. Sunset snapped at Spunky when she got in the way; but Spunky shook her head and gently spoke: “You know better.”

Sunset backed off with an offended look on her face. She turned to mutter something to Spark and he snickered.

Lash moved to his paws and proudly ordered his command. “Let's move! Everyone else is waiting in the city!” He then sprung off the set up and headed towards the window. 

Spunky nudged Squeak with her paw and the kitten turned to look at the stranger. “You look old enough to walk on your own. I can't carry you but I'll be happy to guide you along, little one.”

Squeak didn't acknowledge the other, she got up and trudged over to the window with the other cats. Spunky huffed and picked up Dark again. He squirmed and mewled in her grasp while she walked. 

Lash jumped through the window first and the rest of his cats followed except for a few. Spunky helped push Dirt and Dust over the broken glass and the two brothers got up and landed on the other side safely. 

Spunky felt worn out from today, she still had to get Dark and Squeak over too and she felt like she couldn't do it herself. 

“Wire,” she called and looked over to her mate who was bunching his haunches, ready to jump. “Can you take Dark for me? I'll take the other over.” 

“You already got Dirt and Dust over, surely you can handle two more.” He rolled his eyes and hauled his large body up the wall but paused before he fully jumped over. “Do it yourself, you're capable of it.” 

Spunky bit back a hiss of frustration when she realized everyone left her to get the two kits over by herself. She wondered if they even waited for her, the young she cat who cares more about others than herself. Channeling her frustration with deep breaths, she looked down at the two children at her paws. 

“I'm going to get Dark over first then I'll come back for you...er,” she blinked “What even is your name?” 

Squeak sniffed and sat down. “Squeak.”

“Squeak- Alright.” Spunky repeated and acknowledged. “Well Squeak, just sit tight and I'll get him over and I'll be right back.” she leaned down to rasp her tongue over Squeaks black forehead then picked up Dark all in one motion. 

Spunky sprung up to the window and stretched then set Dark down on the rotting stairs. Once he was settled in a waiting spot, Spunky jumped back up to get Squeak.

She leaned over and craned her head down to the orange kitten. “Come closer, I'll snag your collar and pull you up. I don't know if my joints can take more exertion than they already have today.” 

Squeak did as she was told and scooted over so Spunky could dangle from the window and snap her mouth on the red collar. She got a firm grip then pulled back to lug Squeak over. Avoiding the glass remnants, she stuck the landing onto the porch area and collapsed.

Dark immediately grew alarmed, he jumped up and scuttled over to her head and nudged her muzzle with his nose. “Hurt- are you hurt?” he quickly stammered out which caused Squeak to perk her ears up at his speech. 

“Give me a second.” Spunkys head rolled and she shifted to her side. “Are they waiting?” 

Dark glanced at the trapped woods and gave her another push to make sure she was listening. “Might be- they might be in the city already.” 

Spunky groaned and pushed her front up to get a look for herself. They were nowhere in sight and she didn't know the way to the city. Their neighborhood group of cats split into two divisions: one group was to examine the city, the other was to search the woods. Once they did their patrols of the area, they were to meet at the city-forest border to decide where they'll go next. 

“We’ll just follow the forest edge, we're bound to meet up with then eventually.”  
She stood up and moved her jaw around. “Dark, I'm going to have to let you walk for a little while, okay? Let me ease my pain for a bit.” she didn't expect a response and she didn't get one. He tensed up then nodded his head and started to walk in front of her. 

Squeak assumed that was her que to start walking as well. She bounded down the stairs and Spunky fell in line behind her and Dark. The walk already felt long so Squeak drifted away in her thoughts. 

They were all alone now, why didn't Spunky just take off with them? Flare was just murdered and no one spoke up enough to stop it from happening, while Lash and Rasha bickered a lot and couldn't seem to come up with a shared and equally liked decision.

Who's in control here?

It was a messed up group of cats who only appeared to be killing off possible threats.If they were looking to be superior, then why are they killing potential members? Squeak shook her head and Spunky's voice pulled her from her thoughts.

“Now, when we get there, let me do all the talking.” Spunky flattened her ears. “It's going to be a train wreck already and I know it won't get better if we all try to argue and defend ourselves.”

“Must we go to them? I don't want to leave mother alone.” Squeak mewed and turned her head around to look up to the adult in their party.

“They're expecting us.” Was all Spunky said, short and sweet, she couldn't make the kitten feel better at how fast she was going to be forced to mature. Same goes for Dark and the two brothers. Hell, everyone in their group was young. Flare was older than all of them and even then, she was young and certainly didn't deserve death at this age. 

Spunky walked slow, she wanted to stall their trip to meet up with the other half in anyway possible, yet she knew it was her responsibility to get there.

She fixed her sights on the two kittens walking and idly chatting in front of her. She swayed her tail and watched the way the wind moved the leaves on the trees in complete bliss. The woods enticed her, no solid structures or walls to hold her back. You could run all day and smell the sweet scent of the forest then fall asleep on a soft patch of grass and flowers. No borders, no stench of a house, it was lovely and she dreamed that she could explore the woodlands and live there forever. 

But for now, she looked to be doomed to hard concrete and the reek of a broken city and home.


	8. Trash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All you'll ever be is Trash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! Getting better at updating B)  
> As always, comments and kudos are always appreciated <3
> 
> \---
> 
> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

The forest's edge seemed to go on forever to the three cats who were trudging through it. Spunky had to keep reminding the kittens in her care to shuffle and not fully step, out of fear of accidentally triggering a hidden trap.

They already passed the blue toms mangled and decomposing body that was caught in the barbed wire. Spunky didn't even realize the corpse was there until Dark informed her of it when it was too late. Both the kittens saw the body but Spunky was too tired to care. She directed them to keep moving for it wasn't worth it to dwell on it.

It took everything Spunky had to not pass out in the grass and sleep. That's all she wanted. The kits fast paced movements seemed to slow down as well, they were tired, hungry and deserved a good rest. Their little legs haven't ever walked this far without assistance and Squeak knew that her delicate, pink paw pads were cracking with every step she took next to Dark. Plush grass or not, the weight and pressure that she was putting into getting to their destination _hurt_. Squeak didn't bother asking her questions aloud, but boy, was she lost. The city was big and scary, Flare told her stories that told her to stay away from the city. Yet they were heading straight to it? Myth after myth, story after story, the city was concluded to be a dangerous place not meant for anyone who isn't willing to shed a little blood to survive.

The city was quite the ominous place, it was spoken about in whispers as if it was cursed land. It belonged to no one and only the strong survived with their closest peers. However, the earthquake changed this. Cats fled and ran away but had hopes to come back to the city in search of precious and valuable resources that they desire: food, water, shelter and security. 

Starting with the low voices that emerged from the discussion of the concrete jungle, no one dared to speak about its past or the cons of the _damned place._ But to most, the cons outweigh the pros. Hot in the summer, scorch your paws off, freezing in the winter. 

Then we have the cities past, heaven help the ones involved in making history. SwiftSongs sacrifice changed the game, nothing was ever the same again when Shades rage took over. She created hell on the block that tempted to spill into the rest of the city if not contained. Blood, gore, fire and glass erupted from the street that night, windows were burst out and lives were lost. 

From Shade throwing Talon out a window, to biting out his eye and ending it all ripping out his robotic arm and shredding his neck til he was almost decapitated- it was a sick sight. She did it all out of sheer hatred and revenge, believing that if he was dead then everything would be okay… _right?_ It had to be that simple. Kill the bad guy and go home a hero. But that's not how history works, it's twisted and passed down from different perspectives until only those who lived during the event could tell you what happened. One of the few things that's forever stayed true to the city's tall tale is that Shade is a Queen and she would do _anything_ to keep that title. 

This city was once Talons, but that was many years ago. It's the new generation's turn to turn it around and fix it all. Make it safe and secure again, no fears of death or unimaginable horrors. It just needed the right cat to reshape it into its former glory.

Squeak suddenly felt more excited to get to the city out of nowhere, she picked up her pace and stumbled over her short legs. She twisted her paw around to try and stabilize herself, she failed whenever her cheek hit the ground and a burning pain racked through her ear and reminded her of the missing chunk.

Squeak let out a noise as she collided with the ground, she wanted to cry and ask for help but she realized the ground was different. Out of curiosity, she dug her small claws in the land under her then blinked a few times to refocus. This wasn't grass, this material didn't make her feel safe and hidden, it was dirt. It was mushy and grainy and didn't sit well with her. Clumps of mud stick to her fur and her excitement faded when she realized that she would probably hate whatever was going to come next.

She gave her head a quick shake then looked behind her to Spunky and Dark. The pair was staring up in awe, their mouths agape as they took in the sight before them.

Squeak tilted her head at their expressions. What's so special about it? She took a look for herself and frowned. The city was all broken from the earthquake, vines climbed up the side of every building in their view and windows were missing from a lot of the buildings. Bricks were littering the streets, roads and sidewalks were cracked and cars were overturned.

There was nothing remarkable or mind blowing about it, some street lamps were still on though, she found this the most interesting out of everything. Squeak looked at Spunky and Dark again. Their faces remained the same. Couldn't they just get on with it? 

The road they stood on abruptly lead into a dead end, the street and dirt mixed with each other and it cut off at an odd spot. Was this land unfinished? It couldn't go anywhere from here unless they cut down all the trees and paved over the dirt and grass. 

Anxiety washed over the group whenever a strong voice barked and yelled; _“You're late!”_

It bounced off the city's walls and echoed in the alley, it was joined by a chorus of responses that all had all different accent and ring to them.  
__  
“What took you so long!?”  
“Keep up next time!”  
“Try harder!”  
  
Spunky flinched at every word, especially the ones from the familiar voice she knew so well. “Let's carry on then,” She said quiet and confidentiality. She gave Squeaks back a nudge which got her to her paws.

Squeak grunted and started to take strong steps to the road. Spunky tried to talk to her more, to give her some advice and words of encouragement but Squeak pushed on and ignored every word she said.

Spunky grew frazzled at the kits ignorance, her fur spiked up and she stopped in her tracks to meet eyes with Dark.

“Possibly a- possibly a bad day?” Dark mewed and rethought about what he had said and how stupid it must of sounded. Spunky didn't respond and he decided to keep quiet, it seemed to be for the best, based off of her nonexistent reaction.

Squeak walked with fake confidence, with every step she took alone the more she felt herself tremble. The closer she got to the group she regretted going in alone. Cats in the alley were starting to perk up and murmur things to each other, they were talking about her and she could only assume it was the worst. She could veer off and run, but where would she go? These cats could match one of her strides in three steps, it'd be impossible to take off now.

Spunky and Dark caught up to her and the three of them stood in front of the alleys entrance. It went pretty far back, at the end of the alley was a green dumpster labeled “TRASH” and behind it was a wooden fence. Lash and Rasha both sat on the dumpster together but kept a distance between them.

They both looked beat up, Rasha's sleek fur was ruffled and Lash was panting while struggling to keep his posture. His eyes were closed and blood was dripping down his face. Squeak could see that Rasha had blood on his paws, she concluded that the two of them got into a fight for a spot to be superior over the other. Rasha clearly had won, his fur was matted in a few parts and Lash looked to be forming a scar that started from under his left eye and stretched all the way across his muzzle to his cheek. 

Yet, even with Rasha being the victor, the two of them still sat together which made Squeak curious. Lash refused to get off the dumpster because he wanted to hold his power. If anything he looked weak and pathetic.

“Took you long enough.” Rasha hissed and leaned forward. Lash remained quiet and twitched at his voice.

Spunky took a few steps forward and nodded her head. “I had no help getting Squeak and Dark over here. It's a miracle we showed up at all. Besides, we agreed to meet at the forest border, you carried on without us and by the looks of it,” she raised her head and looked around at the other cats who looked to be settled in already. Even Wire, he was on the second story one of the buildings that formed the alley. He rested in a popped out air duct, the grate was hanging on by one bolt and the shiny interior of the duct was poking out. His smokey blue eyes watched Spunkys every move and she felt very uncomfortable with the tom watching her from so high up, but carried on with her explanation anyway. “everyone's here already.”

In the mix of cats were some new faces, A blue she cat laid next to Lash on the floor by the dumpster, she was grooming a silver kitten. The kitten squirmed and complained but it's mother kept it in place to soften out its fur.

Squeak tipped her head. It looked older than her yet it acted as if it was a newborn. She couldn't help but feel jealous at how this kit still had its mother to care for them. 

Then we had Wire up in the second floors air duct, through his wreck of fur, Squeak could see another cat. It strikingly resembled Spunky in the sense of the pink fur, but stared down with such an intense gaze that matched Wires. 

What an odd family. 

Aside from those three, Squeak knew everyone here from back at the house. If she kept up the fake confidence then she would be alright. She could make friends and grow up like Flare wanted her to. It had to be that easy, it had to be.

_“Are you even listening to me?!”_

A sharp voice snapped her out of her thoughts and made her jump. Rasha was yelling at her for existing, again. 

“Yes?” Squeak slowly responded and looked up at him. Even Lash looked surprised, his eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to keep them open. 

Rasha mumbled curses under his breath and rolled his eyes. “You can't even pay attention to me, how worthless are you?”

He paused as if he was expecting an answer. Squeak flicked her torn, bloody ear and turned around to Spunky. Spunky took a step back and Dark did the same. The calico flattened her ears against her head and huffed. 

“Turning to them for help? I'm surprised that they even took you with them. You're just a splinter in their paw pads, good for nothing and a piece of _shit._ ” He snarled and drew his lip up to show his teeth and the gap.

With his statement finished, the chorus of cats all started to talk. They talked, giggled and gossiped to no end about the young calico who had done nothing wrong.

Squeak stood still and glanced at the ground in front of her. It wasn't worth it to fight or defend herself, she let them shame her honor without a second thought. There wasn't much to defend anyway.

_“Spunky should have left you to rot in the building!”_ Sunset screeched.

_“You're taking advantage of her kindness, can't anyone see this?”_ Spark, who sat next to her, looked around and snapped.

_“She's exhausted because of you! You- you piece of trash!”_ Dust added on which startled Dirt.

His outburst made everyone pause, there was a look on Rasha's face, a cunning look that made Squeak cringe. 

_“Trash…”_ he repeated and looked up to the colorful sky. His gaze fell upon the kitten in front of him, who flinched when their eyes met. “How fitting for what you are.” His tail thumped on the lid of the dumpster.

Lash swallowed his fear and turned to the other tom. “Rasha…” he breathed out carefully. “What are you thinking…” 

Rasha didn't respond to him, he lowered his eyelids and grinned. “Trash, the scum of the streets and something no one needs. It's a disturbance to all and everyone gets rid of it.” he flicked his tail again. “On one hand we have Squeak, a gentle and innocent name. On the other is Trash, it suits you better.” He raised his head. “That's your new name. From here on out, Squeak is dead.” He dipped his head and chuckled at the frightened kitten. “Maybe Trash will survive.” 

Trash audibly gasped, her heterochromic eyes widened and she staggered back as if she had taken a physical blow. Her breathing quickened and she felt hot all over knowing that everyone was watching her break down. Again, why fight it? Even if she corrected him nothing would change. She sniffed and started to cry. Sure, she wasn't injured, but something was taken from her- something she knew she could never get back.

Cats started to congratulate Dust for giving the idea, they smiled and nodded to him and he loved the praise and attention. He puffed out his chest and laughed with them. Dirt backed up and sat further away. This wasn't a problem though, Dust didn't even realize he had moved because he was too caught up in his moment of fame. Trash had crumpled down into a sitting position, through tear filled eyes, she watched Dust revel in his glory for the witty comment. He didn't realize that she was watching him and frankly, he didn't care.

Spunky stepped forward and reached out a paw to rub Trash’s striped leg. “You okay?” she whispered.

Trash pulled away from her and looked at Lash. “Where do I go from here?” she asked through sobs. 

Lash looked caught off guard, his fur prickled and he turned to Rasha. Rasha gave him a side eye and blinked. 

“I'll let you make this choice.” 

Lash shook the excess blood off of his face and took a deep breath to regain his stance. He looked lost as he eyed over his cats while he struggled to find his wording. 

Trash felt hopeless, she didn't care what he said at this point. She just wanted him to get it over with already. 

“I've got a suggestion!” Sunset piped up and stepped forward into the slight clearing. Spark laughed when she stepped out, he leaned over to Dust and whispered something to him. Dusts confident smile quickly faded and he looked scared. He suddenly realized his brother wasn't by him either. His moment of fame was over and he felt alone.

Trash coughed a bit then turned around to the huge she cat who was prowling towards her. Her sights were fixed on Sunsets large, white paws that looked like they could snap someone in half. 

“And that is..?” Lash tipped his head.

“That we should put the Trash in its place.” Sunset growled and crouched down. Trash jumped up again and started to back up. She couldn't run out of the alley, everyone was blocking it. She couldn't scale the fence behind the dumpster, either, all she could do was stall the impending attack.

“Back off!” Trash whimpered out and cried more when her tail brushed the cool wall.  
__  
“Kill it!”  
“It's vermin, get rid of it!”  
  
Why were they so awful to her? This simply wasn't fair. Her ear, her mother, her pride and now possibly her life. The dehumanizing comments started to cloud Trash’s mind, she trembled in place and shrieked when Sunsets jaws snapped around her neck. 

Despite still being a kit, Sunset struggled to get a full grip. Her mouth could only go halfway around her neck and even then, she was choking on her collar. 

Sunset tried to pierce through the thick fabric but couldn't break it, she resulted to taking her right paw and pushing Trash down to the ground with it. There was a clicking noise and Sunset quickly tried to pull back. Her jaw was locked in place and Trash was still stuck in her grasp. Sunset reeled back like a horse, she thrashed around and desperately tried to get Trash off. 

But nothing worked, all she was doing was swinging the young calico around and only making the situation worse. The group all took some steps back to stay out of the way and Rasha groaned then turned to Lash, who was watching with concern.

“You see, this is what happens when you don't give direct orders. Maybe one day you'll learn a thing or two.” Rasha spoke to Lash in a monotone voice.

_“Alright! Enough! Put it down!”_ Lash called out which made Sunset freeze.

Trash stopped squirming as well, she was dangling from her collar and she felt like she was getting hung. In her fit to breathe, she spun around and ripped her small claws across Sunsets big nose. Sunset howled in pain and thrashed her head back, during this, Trash twisted to get loose and she hit the ground with her chest. 

With the air knocked from her lungs, she took heavy breaths to push herself up in a sitting position. Everything was spinning around Trash and she felt like she was going to be sick. 

She could smell blood so she assumed it was hers, but looking up she could see Sunset panicking with her mouth wide open. While Spark examined her mouth and calmed her down, he discovered and informed her that one of her lower teeth was missing- and it was lodged in Trash’s collar. 

Trash stiffened and slowly raised up a paw to touch the tooth, once her paw skimmed it she yelped in disbelief. “No way!?” she whined. Trash felt embarrassed and dumb with the tooth stuck in her collar, but she felt strangely secure knowing it was there. 

Rasha stood up and lashed his tail behind his back. “What is it with your family and knocking out teeth!?” he hissed and instinctively licked the gap in his own mouth.

Trash straightened up and kept a distance between herself and sunset, in case the she cat wanted to try something else. She silently thanked herself for this idea because Sunsets next move was to screech and try to jump again. Quick as a rabbit, Lash sprung from his spot and landed in the middle of them. Sunset withdrew her claws and skidded around Lash to avoid hitting the man of authority. 

Lash swished his tail on the ground and looked at both Trash and Sunset. “I don't care about the scar on my face or the shame it carries, I'm your leader and you need to listen to me. So, stop.” He commanded with lots of emphasis in his speech. He raised his head and blinked away the blood that threatened to fall in his eyes.

Sunset spit at his paws and moved back among the group. “Sure thing, boss man.” 

Lash turned to look at Trash, the poor trembling child who looked flustered and scared. “Were all tired, stop the violence and let everyone live to see another day.” He looked up to the sunrise and sighed. “As for sleeping arrangements, find shelter in one of the buildings that make up the alley or sleep where you stand. There's a door down for one, find a spot and claim it.” 

Wire let out a wheezing laugh and started to speak. “This place is mine! It's all mine!”

Rasha perked his curled ears and lowly laughed. “Trash, you'll be staying with Wire.”

_“What!?”_ Wire and Trash both shouted together in unison. 

“ _Bull!_ I'm not sharing!” Wire yelled down from the second story. “I worked hard to get up here! Take a walk _pipsqueak!_ ” 

Trash frowned and watched as the cat's all started to disband and find a spot to settle down in. Most everyone headed in the building, the only cats who stayed in the alley were Lash, Rasha and the two felines who laid next to the dumpster.

Although upon eavesdropping, Trash learned that the adult was named Mist and the child was named Lime. This was Lash’s family, he gave up the spot on top of the dumpster so Rasha could have it. Instead, he laid on the concrete with his wife and child. 

Lime perked her head up from her spot in between her parents. “Can I go with it?”

Mist and Lash looked at each other with shocked expressions. “I don't see why not…” Mist moved her paws so Lime could clamber over them easier. 

Trash was so close to laying down on the floor, but Lime bounded past her and jumped around. “I've already explored the entire building!” Her green eyes were shining and she couldn't sit still. “C’mon!” she excitedly said then took off around the corner.

“Ah- hey! Wait up!” Trash yelped then bounded after the older kitten. 

Lime skidded and took a sharp turn into the building, Trash paused at the doorway and felt intimidated at how everyone was laying down in groups, but all eyes were on her. Lime bolted past everyone and jumped up onto the second stair on the stairway.

This looked to be formerly an office building, framed posters and documents were shattered on the floor, tables, chairs, filing units and shelves had been knocked and toppled to the ground as well. There was an enclosed stairway that lead up to the other floors, but it was broken on the second part. It had a large gap and rubble from it laid in a messy pile, around six stairs were missing and two threatened to fall. Trash kept this in mind as she walked closer to the start of the stairs at her own pace.

“Keep up!” Lime chirped in an impatient tone. She stood on the floors landing and bounced in place. Trash grunted and pressed on.

What a day. Flare was murdered, Squeak is dead and Trash was born. There's now a tooth stuck in Trash’s collar and she doesn't know how to feel about it. Oh, and this annoying kit is dragging her up a broken flight of stairs to a crammed air duct and a rude man.

Here's to the future and to the dream that it gets better.


	9. Inquisitive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You curious and foolish child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay whenever i say im gonna update next just ignore me lol since that clearly doesnt happen since writing is hard  
> anyway! we're finally getting somewhere plot wise!! comments and kuddos are greatly appreciated <3
> 
> \---
> 
> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
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> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
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> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

Lime was charging up the stairs while Trash took her time to inspect every step for major cracks. They all looked fine, she concluded that the missing bit of stairs was the only affected part. Lime swished her tail tip in Trash’s face and she sneezed at the feather like tail. 

“You've gotta jump!” Lime was beaming with energy, she just couldn't sit still, could she? “That's the only way you'll get up there! Watch me!” Lime backed up to where she hit the wall and looked to Trash. “Step aside!”

Even though she wasn't anywhere near her, Trash stepped back and watched with amusement as the kit sprinted up the stairs then sprung over the gap and stuck the landing. Trash jumped and rushed over to where the stairs cut off and looked down. It wasn't a big fall at all, but she knew that it'd hurt if she fell on the rubble that was the concrete stairs. 

“Are you sure there isn't another way up?” Trash questioned and swirled her paw around.

“Well, you could try and scale the building but I'm pretty sure that's impossible.” Lime responded with a shrug.

“So I'm jumping then?” Trash grumbled and looked up at the other. 

“Yep! Get a running start and go for it!” Lime turned and ran up to the second floors carpet and waited. 

Unconfident with her short legs and afraid of failure, Trash started to back up until she felt she had a good distance between herself and the broken stairs. “This good?” she asked again.

“Quit second guessing yourself, silly!” Lime snickered and started to laugh at how hesitant Trash was being. 

Trash took a breath then started to charge at the stairs as fast as she could. When her paws hit the broken part of the stair, she pushed off with her hind legs and hit the other half hard with her chest. 

With the air knocked from her lungs, she scrabbled at what she could and called for help. “Lime! Lime!!” She repeated when her small claws allowed her body to slip over the edge. 

“What do you want me to do?” Lime was sitting down with her tail wrapped around her paws, giving no indication of her having intentions to help the falling calico. 

And with no help whatsoever, Trash slipped and fell the short distance onto the concrete mound. 

She yelped as her back thumped on the hard pieces and hissed when she slid all the way down the pile of rubble. The relaxing cats all looked up at the noise but no one cared enough to get up to help. 

Lime grunted then sprung down from the second floor and landed cleanly on the top of the pile. She carefully picked her steps and made it down to Trash without a scratch.

“You could have done that a lot better.” Lime blatantly commented as she flicked her tail with clear disgust.

Trash cracked her neck and struggled to push her front up. “I'll keep that in mind for next ti-nH!” 

Right as Trash was starting to regain her footing, Lime jumped up and forcefully pushed her down by her forehead. Her chin smacked the carpet and she let out a low whine. 

“Why don't you just give up?” Lime hissed and Trash flinched at her quick change in attitude. “You failed once, what makes you think you'll be able to do it now?” Lime backed up and Trash hesitantly pushed herself to her shaking paws. 

“Watch me.” Ignoring the fiery pain that ran through her legs, back and chin, she shoved past Lime and made her way up the first set of stairs again. 

Lime looked baffled at her strong response, she sat down and lashed her tail behind her back. “I'll be down here for when you fall- again!” 

Trash didn't know what she was doing, her shoulders were aching and her vision was starting to go blurry. Lime was watching her clearly struggle to work her way back up the stairs, every step she took was followed by a gasping breath. 

“You're going to kill yourself! I don't think you can live through another fall!” Lime called out in a plain manner which made Trash wonder if she was being a jerk or if she was being serious. Either way, she was committed to make this jump and she knew that she couldn't turn back now. “I'd back out of this if I were you!” the silver kitten yelled upon seeing Trash start to brace herself to jump

“Let me focus!” Trash slurred out. She could feel herself shaking and her muscles screamed at her to lay down. “You're not helping me, anyway.” she rolled her eyes. 

“Should I get my dad?” Lime offered, clearly getting bored.

“No! No, there's no need for that!” Trash quickly replied and started her messy run at the stairs. Lime watched her jump with a fixated and concerned stare, knowing that she was going to fall, she prepared to call for help. But to her surprise, Trash skidded on the other half of the broken steps. She yowled in delight at her successful leap and was suddenly filled with a burst of energy.

“I told you I could do it!” Trash craned her head over the gap to look at Lime, who sat with spiked fur and a hanging jaw. “Never doubt me again!” She triumphantly declared then turned around and booked it up to the second floor. 

This floor looked the same as the first but significantly smaller, it appeared to be a waiting area. Paintings and posters were shattered on the floor, potted plants were tipped over which made quite the mess. A coffee table was completely destroyed and tall shelves were knocked down like dominos. It was a lot to take in for Trash, but she acknowledged the other set of stairs which lead to the 3rd and final floor. 

“Come in this air duct and you die!” Wire snarled out which was followed by a series of hacking noises. 

Trash directed her attention to the silver hole in the wall and blinked. “I don't think either of us have a choice.” she said with little emotion.

“Yeah, well!” Wire poked his large head out to yell at Trash easier. “F-fuck what Lash says!” he coughed more.

Trash flinched at his language but walked closer til she was in front of the broken off grate. “Do you want me to take the inside or outside?” 

“I want you to go away!” Wire hissed once more. “Cherry’s in here too, we couldn't possibly fit all three of us, anyway!”

Trash narrowed her eyes when she saw the small flash of red from behind Wires massive body. 

“Hey, pops.” Cherry started which made Trash more alert, her voice was mature and strangely calming. “I can sleep downstairs and leave the air duct to you two. I'm sure Lash wouldn't care if I left, he just wants to punish you.” She finished with a ring to her speech.

From her voice alone she sounded older than Trash for sure, it made the calico think that everyone here was ridiculously childish. 

“Whatever. I'll get out and you and Trash can switch places.” Wire huffed then struggled to drag himself out. Trash fell into her thoughts as she watched him.

Trash. That's not even a name. She couldn't stop thinking about it, she would have to live with it forever and she hated it. It's an insult that she couldn't speak up about or work to change. It's shameful to be called and made her self conscious every time she was addressed by it. Along with the constant pronoun of it. None of this was civil or humane. She wanted to be in a cozy bed with Flare and baby talk forever, like the young cat's here did. But no, she had to develop her speech and build up a new vocabulary based on the things she heard.

Maybe that's why Lime acts so much like a kit- because she is a kit. A privileged little brat who drove Trash up the wall. She would never have to work for anything in her life, it would all be given to her with a nod and a smile. 

Trash envied every blessing Lime had.

The worst part is, Lime didn't even realize how lucky she was. She'd never have to face the hardships of being completely alone and at the mercy of others. Trash grit her teeth as Cherry passed her because she was exactly the same as Lime; a privileged and spoiled child.

Cherry turned the corner and gracefully made the gaps landing. Cherry wouldn't ever be forced to jump, she wouldn't fail and have everyone witness it.

Wire nudged Trashs side with his broad nose. “Go on in.”

Trash begrudgingly listened to him and walked inside the the air duct. The chilled metal under her paws burned her brittle pads but she toughed it out.

“It's so cold.” the kitten mewed and settled down. “It's not cold outside, why is it cold here?”

Wire dragged himself into the air duct as well and plopped down with a clang. “It's not cold.” Wire hissed and wrinkled his flat muzzle.

Trash blinked and stared at him. Of course he wasn't cold, he was a fat Persian with heat to share. His thick fur kept him warm all the time, the only thing cold about him was his heart which Trash quickly picked up on. A gust of air was blown into the alley which immediately made her shudder. Wire didn't even move, the wind ruffled his coat and passed like nothing.

After a while of shivering and clattering teeth, Trash fell asleep and took note of how her first night without her mother was. 

xXx

Trash fluttered her eyes awake and appreciated the warmth that coated her back like a blanket. The sun fell perfectly on the open duct and she was grateful for it. She yawned and sat up hunchedly. Wire was still asleep, his chest was gently rising and falling but he was too big to climb around and she didn't dare to climb over his tail. 

Trash sat down again and stared at him. “Hey, can you get up?” she said. He shifted around and rested his head at an odd angle. Trash wrinkled her nose and repeated her question. “Can you get up?” 

Wires cloudy eyes looked up at her and his tail moved aside to press flat against the shiny wall. “Go get me something to eat.” he mumbled, his mouth barely opening with each word he said.

Trashs fur bristled. “Can I what? Why would I ever do that for someone like you?” she sneered and her under eye twitched. 

“Because I said so, I have to babysit you which means you listen to me.” Wire brought himself up to sit, his large form immediately towered over the calico as she shrunk down. 

“I don't even think I can find anything, let alone catch it. What even is there in the city besides you creeps?” Trash stuck out her tongue to the older tom as an act of playful defiance. 

“This place is home to many different kinds of creatures.” Wire hissed and whipped his bushy tail around. “Now do us all a favor and go get yourself killed by one.” 

Wire shot forward and ripped his claws through the air which made Trash spring backwards. With her eyes wide and chest pounding, she struggled to plead for mercy. But the flea ridden man didn't care, he slashed right above her nose and knocked her off balance again. Trash yelled as she fell backwards, her front paws flailed in the air to try and grab hold of something to catch her fall. 

Trash spiraled down through the air but caught sight of Wire watching her fall, he turned around and Trash collided with the concrete floor of the alley.

xXx

Trash woke up on unfamiliar ground, the surface she laid on was soft and welcoming instead of the coldness she was used to. It was comforting to her aching body and urged her to stay a while longer. She twitched her nose and realized it felt stiffer than usual, she also tasted copper in her mouth but accepted what had happened. Despite her eyes being closed, she sensed motion in front of her and looked up to see what it was. In front of Trash sat a large, black feline who smiled down warmly. Her posture was neat, clean and friendly and intimidating in no way. The only shock factor about her was the fact that half of her face was gone and one of her eyes was replaced with an X shaped scar.

_“Hiya, kiddie!”_

The stranger mewed and smiled widely. 

Trash yelped and jumped to her paws. “Where, who!?” she spoke quickly which caused the other to tip her head. 

_“Well you see, you just cracked every bone in your body after that fall!”_

She spoke with so much pep in her voice, as if she was forcing herself to be friendly. 

_“Lucky for you, I was there to save you!”_

Trash turned and took off running to a large set of doors. She started to drag her claws on them while whimpering. “You're scaring me!” she whined and gave up on the door then bolted to her right. She dove under a pew without thinking and started to crawl under the endless rows of them. Lost and afraid, she kept going to try and lose the black cat. 

_“Where are ya goin’?”_

“Which ever way will lead me away from you!” Trash cried and paused under one of the long benches. 

The battle scarred feline leapt up on one of the benches and started to spring over them with great leaps. Her balance was unnatural, despite having such a large figure she could hold her weight with each jump to a new pew.

_“C’mon! Have some trust in a stranger! I don't bite- promise!”_

Trash peeked out from her hiding spot to see the cat jumping towards her. She gasped and kept scurrying away till she reached the front. The area in front of her was a stage like area with red carpeting and a wooden podium in the center of it. On the back wall was three grand glass murals that caught her eye. They all had complicated and colorful designs of flora and grass, but the one in the center really took her breath away. Completely forgetting that she wasn't alone, Trash slowly started to climb the few wide stairs up to get a better view. 

_“So I see you're the curious type! Aren't they flawless?”_

Trash jumped in her place again when the big cat started to walk up the stairs. Her movements were smooth and full of expression, she kept a distance between herself and Trash which was very appreciated by the calico. 

“They sure are quite the sight.” Trash mewed and felt a rush of calmness wash over her with every second she stared at the murals. She blinked and turned around to see the ragged feline sitting and resting against the podium. “What's your name?” Trash finally got the courage to ask.

_“The names Shade! Helping you reach your dreams is my game.”_


	10. Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Overcoming obstacles makes you stronger, but maybe its a little easier when you have someone to help you out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for 1k+ hits! They all mean the world to me!
> 
> \---
> 
> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

“Shade.” Trash repeated and turned around to properly face her newfound friend. “That's a pretty name!” she beamed with a smile.  


_“That's awfully sweet of you, you have some very nice manners.”_  


“My mother raised me well.” Trash nodded and walked over to Shade.  


_“Your mother was an amazing cat, I'm honored that I had the pleasure of meeting her.”_  


“You knew Flare?” Trash asked and appeared to be holding back tears. Shade stood up and waved her fluffy white tail in the air to motion Trash to follow. Shade led her down the stairs and to the first pew where the two of them jumped up and settled down.  


_“Did I know Flare? Oh I more than just knew her! We were best friends! We talked all the time before you were even born, she never stopped talking about how much she loved you.”_  


Trashs smile kept growing, she laid down on the red cushion and looked at Shade as if she was listening to Flare tell her a story. “Is there more? I want to hear every memory you have with her.”  


_“A lifetime's worth of stories! We were always so close. When you were born we agreed it'd be best if I kept my distance so Flare could raise you, I knew it was for the best but it always hurt me, especially now that she's gone.”_  


“Can you go into specifics? It's just that I miss her a lot and you're the only one with memories of her.” Trash pleaded.  


_“I certainly can! I remember this one time when I took her into the city! She was fascinated by all the people and all the lights. Her excited face looked exactly like yours when you saw those masterpieces.”_  


Shade used her white tail again to motion in the direction of the windows.  


_“Which ones your favorite?”_  


Trash looked up at the three glass murals and giggled. “You're going to make me choose? I like them all but I love the middle one!” The middle one was the most detailed, it was broken up in three sections that all displayed their own unique design. Two were forget me nots running up the mural with grass and leaves around around them, the third was at the very top and showcased a single blue flower with an X behind it.  


_“Really? I wasn't expecting you to say that! It's my favorite too, if you must know. It reminds me of my daughter.”_  


“Your daughter?” Trash questioned and looked back to Shade. “Is she my age? I'd love to meet her!” Shade flinched and looked baffled.  


_“Ah, I'm afraid she's not with us anymore.”_  


Shades usual peppy manner came to a slow stop and the two of them fell into silence. “Sorry for bringing her up.” Trash mumbled and looked at the floor.  


_“You're alright, it's just a very sensitive subject for me.”_  


Shade looked very humane, her single blue eye was fixated on the mural of blue flowers. Trash jumped off the bench and sighed. “I need to get back. Wire won't be happy that I'm gone and Rasha will kill me if he sees I'm slacking.”  


_“Slacking!? You nearly died! How dare they! Why do you let them do this to you?”_  


Trash slumped down and pursed her mouth. “Because I can't do anything about it.”  


_“Sure, but what if you could! What if you had the power to stand up to them and put them in their place!”_  


“I don't know. That's impossible so why even think about it?” Trash started to walk down the middle of the building to the big doors.  


_“Nothings impossible! You died but I saved you! Let me save your future, let me secure your success!”_  


Shade was sounding desperate now, she jumped off the bench and sped after Trash to where she was in front of her and walking backwards. “How exactly can you do that?”  


_“You see, I'm not exactly like you or anyone you know. I'm different and special in my own unique way!”_  


Trash raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “How?”  


_“I can make magic happen! Take a step back and watch this!”_  


Trash did as she was told and backed up. Shade sat down and raised up her two front paws, they both lit up in blue fire out of nowhere and Trash bolted backwards. “Are you okay!? Shade, what's going on!?” Trash stopped before she went up the stairs again but Shade was already walking towards her. The fire on her paws didn't catch on the carpet, or anything for a matter of fact. It seemed to only stay on her paws or where she wanted it to go.  


_“Pretty cool huh? It's harmless if I want it to be.”_  


Trash wondered if that was a threat but she quickly ignored that grim thought, Shade wouldn't hurt her. “What is it?”  


_“Never seen fire before? It's singlehandedly one of the greatest forces in the world! I'm very grateful to be able to control and handle my own.”_  


“What does it feel like?” The younger continued to ask her questions.  


_“Indescribable. It's such a strong feeling. I can also change its temperature! Right now, it's lukewarm like water.”_  


Shade shook her head and the blue fire vanished. She stopped a few feet in front of Trash and gave a smile.  


_“You little rascal, you're getting me off track. I want to a help you and I want to mentor you! I'll teach you everything I know and share stories with you! The only thing I ask in return from you is quite minor.”_  


Trash perked her ears and watched as Shade lit up one of her paws in the fire again.  


_“When the sad day comes and you pass, I want your soul. It sounds like a lot but you won't be needing it. It's what remains of you once you pass, completely useless to you from then on.”_  


“But I'm so young, I don't understand.” Trash whimpered and looked around to avoid Shades glare.  


_“I'll help you understand everything! But for us to remain friends I'll need you to accept my terms.”_  


Trash started to walk towards Shade, she crept closer with slow and unsure steps. “What will you teach me?”  


_“What do you want to know? You're a curious little kitten so ‘everything’ will suffice since I can do that.”_  


“I want to know everything, then.” Trash answered and looked up at the tall feline. The interior of the building had darkened, as if the light being let in through the windows had vanished. Shade swished her paw around and candles around the building all lit up one by one which left the two cats to be illuminated by a soft, turquoise glow.  


_“Do you want to know how to take power over those you dislike? Maybe put all those wretched beings in their place?”_  


“Not Dark or Spunky.” Trash quickly said which made Shade a bit surprised.  


_“Of course, not Dark and Spunky. You're a compassionate young girl, Trash. You have so many leader like qualities and I look forward to watching you grow into a strong she cat.”_  


Shade paused to take a breather and to make sure trash was still following what she had to say.  


_“But to add onto my terms, I want to be able to control your body whenever I want. I can't exactly leave this church but every time I possess you it'll be for your own good.”_  


Trash looked alarmed but she raised her tail in the air and gave Shade a confident look. Shade smirked and pushed her paw out to Trash.  


_“So what do you say? One soul for control over hundreds? One deal to change your future? Let me help you and make you stronger. Let me guide and mentor you, let me save your soul.”_  


Trash looked at the fire on Shades paw and up at her face. “I'm trusting you…” she whispered and started to reach out her own paw.  


_“Give me your trust and I'll give you everything! I won't let you down, Trash!”_  


Trash swallowed and touched her paw to Shades, the fire that surrounded her own felt like it didn't exist, it felt like a shift in the air. Shade started to laugh and cackle while Trash reeled back and stared up at her with a horrified expression.  


**_“I'LL MAKE YOUR LIFE EXCITING! SEE YOU SOON!”_ **  


And with one last bit of Shades hysterical laughing, Trash jolted awake to a paw on her flank and Spunky staring down at her.  


“Incredible. You lived through that fall without any damage to you. The only thing I can see is your muzzle scar, but we took care of that.” Spunky gave her report and Trash let her head flop down without paying much attention to Dark, who was stopping the bleeding on her nose with a ripped piece of fabric from a sofa.  


Trash shifted so she could see the two of them better and Dark sat back. She considered telling them about the church and Shade, but after everything she agreed to she decided it'd be best if she remained quiet.  


“So am I really okay?” Trash asked and looked around. They were in the main side building from the alley behind the knocked over table in the main room. It actually looked quite comfy back here, there was a big nest of fabric and plush scraps that the two of them slept on.  


“Somehow,” Spunky ran her paw over Trashs side once more. “Nothing seems out of place, I think you're good to go.” she pulled back to allow Trash to sit up.  


Trash thanked the duo and started to walk out the door to go see how everyone felt about her leaving. She expected to be off balance and struggling to breathe, but everything seemed fine. Was this Shades doing? It had to be. Trash wondered what would have happened if Shade hadn't saved her. She'd definitely be dead for one, but she wasn't. She was alive and well but if it wasn't for Shades… magic? She'd be a goner. But then it hit her- Wire murdered her. Wire indirectly killed her and she wasn't going to let that slide.  


She headed around the corner into the main alley and looked for Wire. Trash saw him chatting with Rasha, who laid on top of the dumpster while Lash was relaxing next to it with his small family. Filled with a new rage, she acted impulsively and on her first wit.  


“Wi-i-re!” Trash yelled, her voice cracked and the pathetic noise sounded off the alley walls. His cheerful expression immediately turned to a scowl and he whipped around to face the kitten who stood defensively.  


“You're like a stubborn tick. No matter what you do to it the damn thing always comes back.” Wire growled and advanced towards her. “I told Spunky to kill you while you were unconscious, guess she can't even do that.”  


Spunky, who had been eavesdropping around the corner, sniffed and had to be lead back inside by Dark. Trash flicked her ear and pushed her face in his. “You're awful! Indescribably horrible! You're a jerk!” she snapped out and tried to act like she wasn't a fraction of his size.  


“A jerk? Really? I didn't expect much from a kit who still whines for her momma in the middle of the night.” Wire retorted and spit at her paws.  


Trash immediately recoiled and gave a hurt look. “I don't do that.” she mumbled and kept backing up.  


“But you do, you whine and whimper all night. ‘Mom? Mother!’ you cry out, but don't you understand? She's dead! We murdered her! She is never coming back! Move on, Trash or the world will leave you behind.” Wire slammed his paw down to further emphasize his point and Trash felt herself sink down again. “So catch up and go get me some food. Maybe you learned your lesson about defiance, because next time you go against me you're going in the lake.” Wire sized her up and inspected the scar he had left on her muzzle. “You're disgusting, don't let Spunky rub off on you.”  


Trash narrowed her eyes and fought back her tears. She hated how emotional she got, she didn't want to cry because she had learned it makes Wire feel powerful. But kittens cry, everyone does, and Trash started to see herself in Spunky for that exact reason.  


Trash wished Shade was here, but she wondered how she could contact her again. Just as she began to think of ideas, a hyper voice popped in her head. It felt like it took her mental thoughts and squeezed itself besides them.  


_“You need some help? Going all big cat in the alley not working for ya?”_  


Trash felt like she should have been concerned with how Shade was talking to her, but she liked the company even if it wasn't in person. “I'd really like that!” Trash said excitedly but squeaked and checked all of her sides to make sure no one saw or heard that. “I'd really like that.” she said again in a quieter and more serious tone.”  


_“Let's begin then. I want you to catch a bird.”_  


Trash looked around to try and spot one. Near one of the knocked over telephone lines, a few birds were picking around the area to try and find crumbs or anything edible. Trash perked up and spoke again. “Now what?” Shades voice laughed at her enthusiasm.  


_“Now you sneak up on one and jump with full intentions of killing it.”_  


“Okay, I'll need help with that.” The calico muttered and stepped up on the sidewalk and casually strolled close to them.  


_“I said sneak, not hobble like an oaf. You have so much to learn, now walk against the wall.”_  


Trash felt insulted but she did as she was told and pressed her side against the wall. “Like this?” she whispered.  


_“Good. Now lean down and walk.”_  


Trash did that as well and slowly got closer to the birds, who had yet to notice the feline. She nodded to acknowledge Shade and awaited the next order.  


_“Brace your back legs and loosen your body. Select your target and stay dedicated to it.”_  


The calico locked her vision onto one of the crows and flicked her nicked ear. Shades noble voice picked up again.  


_“Hold a straight stance and leap when ready.”_  


That's all she needed to hear. Like a gunshot, she leapt at the target with outstretched arms. The flock all jumped and flew up, but she had hooked a wing. “I got it!” she exclaimed and crashed into the broken telephone phone but held the bird under her paw. The bird trashed and pounded its wings against Trashs white leg. “What do I do now?!” she yelped and used her other paw to hold its head against the concrete.

_“Something to kill it. Use your imagination.”_  


“I don't know! I've never done this before!” She whined but kept her mouth open and debated biting it.  


_“Easy, girl. How can you kill this creature? Think.”_  


Trash gave the bird a sentimental look and moved her paw off of its head so she could dive down and clasp her mouth around its neck. Feathers came loose and she choked on them, but used her strength to sink her teeth in. It's wings slapped her face but she dug deeper until a metallic taste flooded her mouth and the bird went limp. She bit down one last time for good measure then drew back and spit out feathers and blood.  


_“You did it!”_  


“It's dead.” Trash frowned and swayed her tail anxiously. She spit out more small feathers and looked down at her kill.  


_“Yes it is, but it's food. Get used to it and don't dwell on it. Now, take it back to Wire.”_  


Trash felt uneasy as she nuzzled the crow on its belly so she could pick it up by its back. The walk back to the alley was quiet and it gave her time to think. The first thing that came to mind was if Shade could hear her thoughts. Would she be with her all the time, even while she slept? Would silence and time alone ever be achievable? Because all she wanted was to be left alone for a moment of peace.  


Spunky dashed towards her with Dark following closely behind. “You caught a bird? My word, how did you do it!?”  


Trash set the bird down and smiled proudly to hide how nervous she felt. “I did it all by myself, for one! It was almost like a natural instinct.”  


Dark walked around Spunky and sniffed it. “You caught this, you-” he blinked and took a step back. “You caught this all by yourself?” he said in disbelief.  


“Absolutely! There's more where it came from, too!” she piped up and immediately regretted saying it.  


“You'll make a fine hunter then, Trash!” Spunky gave an approving nod and waved her tail. “I'm sure Wire will love it.”  


Trash scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Is he capable of loving anything?” she replied flatly.  


Spunky flinched and Dark shot Trash a harsh glare. The she cat laughed it off for she had no other response. “You're right.” no one spoke after that so Trash picked the bird back up and walked in between them.  


Spunky turned to watch Trash leave while Dark looked up at her. Spunky sighed and started to walk back as well. “She's barely older than you, yet you have more sense than she does.” Darks whiskers twitched and he shook his head.  


“She’ll get it someday.” He replied and walked in the side building with her to their spot behind the knocked over desk.  


Wire was sitting against the wall of the alley with Cherry, the two of them were gossiping about Trash and how she was going to come back with nothing. Wire looked around his daughter to see the calico enter the area.  


She strutted up to him and dramatically dropped the bird at his paws. “Here.” she said clearly and watched his expression change from shocked to disgusted.  


“This is it? You were gone for a long time, I thought you ran away and I'd have to send a party out for you.” he pushed the crow away from him with his large paw. “Was this your first catch?”  


Trashs fur was spiking and her ears flattened back. This time it wasn't with fear, but anger. “Yes, it was. I'm very proud of it so if you can't appreciate it then I'll find someone who will.” she spat at him.  


Wire looked at Cherry and she took it as a sign to jump in. “Don't get smart with him.” she hissed. “Did you forget a piece for me?” she jokingly looked around Trash for another catch but saw nothing.  


“I didn't know you wanted anything.” Trash said defensively and noticed the alley was quieting down and the whispering of her name had resumed. Trash didn't want to snap, she really didn't want to.  


“Really? I thought it'd be common sense. Now go back out and get me something.” Cherry ordered. Trash lowered her head and narrowed her eyes at the newfound enemy.  


“As you wish.” she said and whirled around to leave again.  


“Hey! Get me something too!” Lime yelped from the side of the dumpster. She charged after the other and laughed. “Rasha told me to say that.” she admitted with a smile.  


Trash looked up at Rasha who, as usual, was sitting on the dumpster to stand his ground. “Okay.” she said, not looking to argue more. She left the alley and returned to the streets to hunt more.  


_“Next thing we’ll work on is defiance.”_  


“I think I've had enough in that category. After all, that's how I met you.” Trash mewed to Shade.  


_“For such a young cat you make a good point. I'm glad we're working together.”_  


Trash looked up at a group of birds in the distance. Knowing she could catch them now, she smiled. “Yeah, me too.”  


And so Trash hunted all night. She caught one thing after another with Shades help and fell asleep on the sidewalk when she passed out from exhaustion. When she woke up in the morning, all her prey was gone and Spunky was there to shake her awake. All her work had been for nothing, she lashed out at Spunky for waking her up and stormed back to the place she refused to call home.  


This was her life for the next six months: wake up early, hunt and do tasks for others all day, get no recognition, and sleep. Strange enough, she grew to like and appreciate this. She felt that it taught her discipline, or at least that's what everyone told her. Life was quiet with this routine, Lash and Rasha had even calmed down as well. They both compromised ways to balance out the group under two leaders at separate times. Rasha took control the majority of the time since Lash was preoccupied with his wife and child. In Trashs eyes, Lime was growing up to be a prissy little she cat. But to everyone else, she was getting Cherrys attitude. Did they think that was a good thing? It made Trash scoff, she hated them both.  


Dirt and Dust still hit heads with agreeing on things sometimes, but other than that, the two brothers were doing great. However, Dust still felt off by his siblings attitude. Spunky tried to coach the two young cats that there was more to life than just arguing, but it never seemed to get through to Dirt, the headstrong tom.

Wire and Spunky only seemed to drift further apart, but Wire still thought he could control her. Dark would stand up for her til he had to back away due to his speech, so Trash would often have to jump in and calm Spunky down while batting Wire away. His relationship with his daughter only seemed to grow, he rubbed off on her which, by default, spread to Lime as well. It drove Trash mad. She still had to sleep in the air duct with Wire which sucked, the fact that she was growing didn't help at all.  


Sunset, Spark and Bronze still continued to start gossip about her, but she taught herself to ignore it. They couldn't say anything she hadn't heard before. Bronze and his interesting claws always caught her eye, and almost literally did once. Their shiny copper color was fascinating since they clearly weren't natural. She wished that he didn't hate her, she would love to get to know his past.  


Everyone in the group intrigued the outsider calico, but she could never talk to them normally for reasons that were clear to see. She kept reserved to herself and she liked it this way. In the six month span of her own personal growth, she had acquired another tooth in her collar that was gifted from the back of Shades own collar. It was special to her and she often found herself falling asleep while resting her paw on it. It made her feel connected to the cat she saw at night.  


Trash met with Shade every night when she fell asleep. Once she fell into deep sleep, Shade would take her spirit and bring it safely over to the church. Even when Trash was too tired to socialize with her mentor, Shade allowed her to sleep on the plush cushions on the pews. Overtime, Trash started to rest against Shade and the queen would wrap her tail around her and lick her head till she fell asleep. In the morning, Trash would wake up smiling and warm, which was something she desperately needed since it was fall- soon to be winter.  


Trash stretched her front legs over the edge of the air duct ledge and fell back asleep, hoping to be embraced by Shade again since it was in the middle of the night. Through sleepy vision, she saw Dust, Sunset and Bronze all talking to Rasha. They spoke for a bit then turned and left the alley. It was strange, everyone's usually asleep at this time so she had no idea where they were going. A part of her wanted to investigate but she was too tired.  


Sleep fell over Trash before she could think too much about it and she dozed off.


	11. Grim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Words are a very powerful thing, Trash. Learn to use them well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapters a bit shorter than the last ones i thiiiiiiiink? But! I got everything that i wanted to get across >;3c  
> NEW CHARACTER ALERT!!! Every things speeding up plot wise hehehehehehe  
> someone has a potty mouth  
> \---
> 
> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

“Get the _fuck_ off of me!” 

Trash jumped up at the sudden yowl, her ears angled to the sound and she craned her head around the corner of the broken air duct to see what it was. It was a flurry of fur and hissing, she narrowed her eyes and debated getting up to see better.

“Rasha! Help us out! He-!” Sunset screeched and hissed and rubbed at her freshly scratched cheek. 

Trash sat up and stared down at the group, she thumped her tail excitedly which woke up Wire due to the vibrations. “You woke me up.” he grumbled.

“City scum! Get your grimy paws off of me immediately if you want to keep them!”

“Hush.” Trash mewed to the old cat and hunched over to see who was causing all the commotion. Wire looked shocked, he turned around and hissed. Trash paid no attention to him, she was more focused on who was being dragged into the alley.

“You have five seconds to let go of me or you're losing an ear!”

“Just let him go!” Lash yelled and leapt up onto the dumpster besides Rasha. “Good lord, do they need to wake up the whole city?” he snapped.

“Three… two-!”

“Someone stop him! Dust, do something!” Cherry screeched and raised her hackles when she saw the new cat start to tense up.

“One! _Shit!_ ”

Dust yelled out in shock at his final countdown and instinctively raised his paw to strike at the tom. Dusts small paw hit the cat in the head and dragged down with the messy swipe, it tore into the toms face and scraped down his left eye. The injured cat fell to the floor with the swipe, he cracked his cheek on the concrete and Dust stepped back.

“You bastard! I can't see!”

The stranger screeched and blindly swiped out at Dust. Dust stared down at the dark gray cat in horror, the gashes across his eye were leaking blood into his golden eye. The two toms made eye contact and the one on the floor snarled.

“You'll fucking pay for this.”

The bleeding cat snarled and spit and Dusts paws. Dust didn't move, he was frozen in place while Sunset and Bronze forced the tom to his paws to drag him deeper into the alley. His attacks had stopped, blood hit the floor and he remained quiet about his defeat. Sunset and Bronze stopped in front of the dumpster and helped him get his footing. Once he found it, he shook his head and made sure his blood hit the two cats beside him.

“Greetings, my name is Rasha-” he started but quickly got interrupted by the furious cat in front of him.

“Cut the shit, why am I here. Why did your goons dig me out of the ditch I call home and when can I return to it.” The mysterious chartreux snapped and narrowed his yellow eyes. 

“You're a wild guy. I bet you think you're tough, huh? With your profanity and threats, you even dinged up a good cat of mine. What do you have to say for yourself?” Rasha smirked at his own teasing to the younger cat.

Trash stared down at the introduction in shock, this definitely wasn't like hers. She cowered in fear before them while he was threatening to take everyone around him on in a fight. But something that made her head spin was that he had a dark green collar with what looked to be a tooth jammed in it like hers. 

“I do have a quick thing to say, since you're so generous to allow me to speak.” he said sarcastically and raised his head. Scarlet was coating half of his face, he didn't even seem to be bothered by the blood that was in his eye. “Go drown in the lake.”

Rasha twitched his eye and his fur bristled. “Excuse me?” he rolled his eyes and looked at Lash. “Your call.”

“Why are you looking at me? It was your idea to investigate in the dead of night.” Lash spoke and grumbled.

“Are we done here?” the young stranger groaned and looked around. He looked up and caught sight of Trash, who was leaning so far out of the air duct it was disturbing. “Hello.” he said and Trash scrambled back when she was spotted. His eye was still rushing blood down his face, but it seemed to be stopping.

“Alright, wise guy. What's your name?” Rasha asked and seemed to ease up.

The tom with the green collar turned to look behind him to make sure everyone was paying attention. Even Spunky and Dark had come out of the building to see what was going on. He spoke loud and clear and made sure his voice boomed off the alley walls. “My names Grim!” he spun back around to Rasha and smirked.

“Oh I hate him.” Wire abruptly commented and nudged his way next to Trash, practically sandwiching her between him and the wall. “Whaddya’ think of him? He's such a character, I hope everyone down there rips him and his smart ass to shreds.”

“Give him a chance.” Trash spoke and sat down. Grim swayed his tail above his back and flicked his ear.

“Grim?” Rasha repeated and Grim nodded.

“That's my name. Now tell your cats to move aside or it'll be the last thing you ever say.” Grim scraped his claws on the concrete under him and dropped to a well practiced fighting stance.

Rasha shook his head in distaste. “So eager to fight and dig your claws into something. You can dig your claws into a bird when you catch it for us, you're our new servant.” 

“I'm your new- _what?! Hah!_ As if I'd listen to you! Forget this, I'm going home. Thanks for ruining my morning!” Grim turned around to bump into Sunset and Bronze who were blocking his path with their large and intimidating frames. “You're really doin’ this?” he said. 

“Absolutely. Trash has already gone through this, she'll teach you the ropes.” Rasha looked up to Trash and Wire. Grim followed his gaze and snorted.

“Trash? Is that actually her name? How fuckin’ pathetic.” He smiled and laughed to himself. Self conscious and nervous, Trash frowned and flattened her ears. “Well hello, Trash! Have these lunatics enslaved you as well?” he called out and perked up. 

“Yep.” Trash laughed off her nervousness and smiled.

“Well then! Glad to know I'm not the only one who they've done this to!” He gave her a friendly smile which she took more as a threat. “Did they kidnap you in your sleep and drag you through the woods while you were kicking and screaming bloody murder as well?”

“No, she went easier than you did.” Sunset added in with a mutter while Spark was licking her cheek wound clean.

Trash was hoping that no one would bring up Flares death, she didn't want her first impression to this tom to be… that. The topic seemed to be dropped and she exhaled out the anxiety that was building in her chest.

“Ah, good to know they treated one of us civilly.” Grim nodded and gave Rasha a dark side glance. Trash could tell someone was going to bring up Flare, she started to speak to make sure it didn't come up again. 

“Well, I wouldn't say they gave me a pleasant choice.” Trash mumbled and scoffed when Wire pushed himself next to her again.

Lash could tell they were getting rowdy, he flicked his ear and spoke loudly. “Alright, alright.” the alley cats directed their attention to the leader. “If you want to continue this conversation then take it somewhere else. Grim, you'll be staying in the air duct with Trash. Wire, go somewhere else.” 

_“WHAT?!”_ The three cats involved all shrieked in unison. Grim bristled his pelt, his anger was practically ripping through his fur. 

Rasha lowered his head and snickered to himself. “That'll teach them.” Lash hissed at him and twitched his eye. 

Wire smashed his paw on the surface of the duct and Trash swore it left a dent. “Absolutely _not!_ I was here before these two children ever were! This area belongs to me and me alone! Make them sleep with the fish in the lake!” he yowled, his rough voice cracking at the intensity of his screams. 

“Quiet, you don't have a say in my decision.” Lash mewed and made an effort to puff out his chest. “Now get out or I'll make you.” 

Wire showed his yellow teeth and angled his cloudy eyes. “You and what army?” 

Lash stood up and Trash backed up. She didn't want to be around whenever the two toms snapped. She ran out of the air duct and started to Make her way down the stairs. Her jump over the gap was swift, she'd grown over the past few months so the gap was nothing to her now. Her only worry was that everytime she did it, pieces would crumble down and add to the pile. 

“Wire, you're wise enough to know I could have everyone here turn against you and run you up a wall.” Lash said while Trash turned the alley corner to poke her head in. Grim looked behind him to see her, she was jerking her head towards the building to motion him to come. He made sure Lash wasn't paying attention to him and started to slip through the crowd to get to the calico. 

“Yo, what's up?” Grim casually said to the other. Trash flattened her ears and tried to find the correct words. She was going to be living with this tom in close quarters and she didn't know where to start a proper reintroduction. 

“Let me show you around.” Trash mewed and started to make her way into the building again. “Watch your step, there's debri everywhere.” Grim immediately stepped on a concrete fragment and cursed.

“Son of a-! This fucking place is going to kill me before Lash does!” He yelped and hobbled over to flick the piece out of his paw pad. “Imagine bleeding to death from stepping on a pebble!” he started to laugh at his own comment which, in turn, made Trash giggle as well.

“You're pretty funny, I'm glad this place can have something joyful.” Trash commented and started to walk up the stairs. Grim closely followed her with his tattered ears pricked up.

He smiled warmly and responded in a happy tone. “Thank you, I love someone who I can share a good laugh with.” he looked up at the second floor landing and his jaw dropped. “You fuckin’ kidding me?! I was joking about the pebble killing me, but apparently being impaled by concrete is on the list too!”

“That'd be an exciting way to go, but I guarantee it won't happen to you. I actually fell on it whenever I was a kit and I'm still here.”

_“You're welcome.”_

“Shut up.” Trash hissed out loud to Shade and Grim spun around with a baffled expression.

“Excuse me?” he raised an eyebrow and tipped his head. Surprisingly, he was just confused instead of offended. 

“Ah-! No, no, not you!” She panicked and tried to back pedal. “I was just thinking about, uh, Wire! We fought last night and I'm still hung up on it! You're alright, I'm sorry!” 

Grim stared at her flustered face and pursed his mouth. “Chill.” He looked back up at the stairs and prepared himself to jump.

“Wait, let me go first. I'll show you how it's done!” Trash said but wondered if it was too harsh. She gracefully jumped and looked down at him. “Have confidence in yourself and go for it!”

“I lived in a gorge, jumping is practically my life.” He mumbled and leapt himself. He landed a bit messily and with both of their weight on the end of the stairs, it started to give out and crumble. One of Grims hind legs kicked out from under him and his weight dragged him down. “Shit!” he yelped another curse and flailed his front paws around to grab hold of the step. 

Trash dove forward and caught his collar in her mouth, he hung there while Trash began to pull him up. Once she had gotten his torso up, he was able to drag himself the rest of the way up. Trash was surprised that she was able to hold him like that, he was quite heavy but she was glad that he was safe. When he was on a stable part of the stairs he quickly lost his cool.

“Don't touch me! Don't touch my collar, _do not touch me anywhere!_ ” He screamed and shook out his fur to straighten himself up. “I'll say it now, don't touch me at all! If you brush against me in your sleep, I'll slice your nose open!” Grim was panting, tears were forming in his eyes and Trash wondered what he was so sensitive about.

Half of his face was red with the untreated wound, was he really not going to clean it up? It would scar messy and ragged and certainly not heal normally. Was he leaving the gash open on purpose? Trash caught a glimpse of the front of his collar, it was ripped up the center and she was sure she didn't do that. Seeing him up close, she was able to confirm he did have a claw in his collar. 

She followed him upstairs and had to deal with Wire who was stomping his way past her. “I'm sleeping downstairs and Lash gave me the responsibility to check up on you two every so often.” 

“Alright.” Trash mewed and kept walking. Grim swayed his tail and rushed to meet Wire before he could go downstairs.

“How about you don't do that? We can handle ourselves and if anyone asks we’ll them you're taking _oh so great_ care of us.” He nudged Wires flank with his own. “Mind your own business and we'll mind ours?”

Trash watched him try to persuade Wire, the way he spoke was so sly yet trusting, she was ready to jump into the conversation just to hear it some more. 

“Alright, you better hold up your end of this and give me a good name to him.” Wire agreed with him and jumped downstairs. 

“Can do, my good man!” Grim called and watched him go with a satisfied look on his face. He gave Trash a smug look and chuckled. “Words are a very powerful thing, Trash. Learn to use them well.” He cooed, strolled past her and dragged his tail under her chin then waited by the air duct. Trash was shocked, his outburst on the stairs seemed to be completely left in the past, as if it never happened. “After you.” he said to invite Trash in the duct. She looked wearily at him but crawled inside. 

Trash settled down facing Grim. He laid down with his back towards her and didn't say anything. “Are you okay?” Trash asked quietly. “It's barely noon and I'm sure we can nap all day or talk.”

“Never been better.” Grim replied and tucked his nose into his tail. “Let me sleep.”

Trash frowned at him, she was overly concerned about his eye injury since she knew cuts like that don't heal nicely. Her nose scar was so clean because it was immediately treated, his wouldn't heal the same even if he got it fixed up right now. Despite the sun beaming on her back, Trash closed her eyes and spoke again. “Goodnight, Grim.” 

The tom didn't respond.


	12. South

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To go south means to explore, it means to live in the present and to treasure the journey and the people with you. Heading south marks a new beginning and a promising future full of good health and well wishes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was my favorite to write by far! Hit me up with that Trash and Grim bonding!!  
> Incredible how one of the longest chapters was written the quickest,,,  
> This chapter was written super quickly due to me being very excited for it, so i hope you all enjoy!
> 
> \---
> 
> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

“Get up.” Grim hissed and shoved his paw against Trashs side. Trash begrudgingly opened her eyes and groaned. 

“Did we seriously sleep all day and night?” she asked then turned around to see the bright world. “It's practically blinding.” she mewed and squinted her eyes.

“You did, I stayed up the entire time questioning my existence and pondering if I could take down a fully grown cat on my own. But I hope you slept well.” Grim answered with a flat tone that made Trash uncomfortable. She sat up and licked her paw then rubbed her eyes with the back of it. 

“Why do you say that?” The young she cat mewed and continued to clean herself. Grim sat down and angrily flared his nostrils. 

“Because I fucking hate it here.” He hissed and Trash stared at him but started to laugh quickly after.

“That didn't take long.” she snorted. “It took me a few months to fully break, this is too funny!” 

“Well do you think I'm actually going to do anything for them?! You shouldn't either.” Grim said and turned his head around to check behind him. “Let's ditch this place.” 

This guy was just full of ideas and it made Trash feel off at how sudden he was being. He was so vocal about his concerns and disagreements, Trash knew it could seriously get him in trouble and she didn't know if she wanted to be there when it did.

“How? Just run and never look back?” Trash added on with a tilt of her head.

“Precisely. We're the fittest here aside from a few cats, they wouldn't be able to catch and bring us back.” Grim stood up and trotted out of the air duct and Trash followed. “Even if they did match us in pace we could handle it. You know how to fight, right?” Grim drowsily asked. 

“Well, no.” She admitted and Grims fur raised. “I can hunt though! That's all I've ever needed to know.” she picked up quickly to try and make him feel better about her lack of fighting knowledge.

“They haven't taught you how to fight? How will you be able to defend yourself against one of them or an outsider? This cities dangerous and you guys aren't the only ones who think it belongs to them.” Grim kept walking and talking, he made it to the stairs and peered down to see a few cats napping and talking on the first floor of the building. “The earthquakes said and done, others will be coming back soon to get resources and territory.” he somberly said.

Trash frowned and stood next to him but kept a safe distance. “That's just it, they haven't taught me so I can't defend myself. Even if I did know how to fight I wouldn't be able to do anything with that ability.” Grim nodded to acknowledge her then backed up and jumped over the gap cleanly, seeing that it was much easier to get down than up. Trash followed him again and he took them outside and past the sea of gossip and harsh glares. 

The two of them started to walk down the sidewalk while still chatting. Cherry had stopped them on their way out to pester them and Grim bribed her with food to get her to shut up for the day which Trash really appreciated. A day without Cherry? She would die for that.

“Where are you taking us?” Trash mewed and constantly looked around her the farther they walked. The city still looked disgusting, it smelt weird and the more they kept walking the more Trash felt like she was being watched. On both sides they were surrounded by broken buildings and alleys, destroyed windows and knocked down doors. Prime places for someone to hide and attack an unsuspecting wanderer. At every corner she expected someone to jump out and take the two of them down. All the anxious thoughts made her heart skip a beat. “I hate to say it but I feel safer back at the alley, at least there I know I'm around people I know.”

“You know me.” Grim spoke and climbed over a tire that was in his way while Trash walked around it.

“Barely, you didn't even answer my question. Where are we going?” Trash asked again with annoyance in her voice. He didn't respond so Trash stopped in her tracks and defiantly sat down. “Tell me or I won't keep going.”

“ _ UGNH. _ You're so difficult.” Grim whined and turned around. “Fine, I'm getting us to run away because I knew if I properly asked you then you'd think I was crazy and wouldn't come with me.” 

“I already do think you're crazy.” Trash narrowed her eyes and admitted.

Grim looked hurt but he shrugged and sat down as well. “Can't exactly blame you.” he took in a breath then exhaled. “You're a goody two shoes, someone who wouldn't leave a bad situation because you feel dedicated to your...job.” 

“Am not.” Trash snapped defensively and Grim rolled his eyes.

“Then come with me and prove me wrong, we can run away right now and ditch those fuckers!” Grim perked up and swayed his tail on the floor. “Don't overthink it, just keep walking and leave the past behind you.” he mewed. Trash lowered her head, that was much easier said than done.

“I'm too attached to that alley, it's all I've known for the majority of my life.” Trash admitted in a shameful manner. 

Grim didn't respond immediately, he stopped to think about what she had said. Trash sighed and stood back up. “I'll meet you back at the alley… or not.” she said sadly and turned around.

“I've got it.” Grim said to himself but repeated it again with more energy. “I've got it! Trash, you don't need to leave the alley.  _ They _ need to leave the alley. If you're so dedicated to staying there then I'll make it a forever home!” That got Trashs attention, she looked confused but asked for more details. 

“They won't listen to us for any reason.” Trash said to Grim. The tom still looked to be plotting something in his head.

“So we’ll force them to listen to us. We’ll do something so absurd it'll leave them with no choice but to pay attention to us!” Grim was too excited about his ideas, it made Trash nervous and she desperately wanted to talk to Shade to get an outsider's view on this. 

“How exactly do we do that?” Trash wasn't convinced on this idea at all, it was them against everyone in that alley and she didn't like where this was going.

“Well, you know I come from the forest and we definitely do things different there compared to here. For one, you guys are a bit too civil.” Grim sized up Trash and waved at her with his paw. “Loosen up, you look like you're on the verge of a breakdown.”

_ “He's not wrong.” _

Trash didn't say anything, knowing how the outburst on the stairs went, she didn't want to anger Grim more. She closed her eyes and tried to calm down. “Sorry, I'm tense all the time. Especially right now, who knows who's watching us?!” her eyes started to jump around to all the windows in the area. She thought she saw something move in one of them and jumped. “They see us!” she hissed.

Grim shook his head. “I've got my work cut out for me then. No one's there and for the love of all things good, just focus on me.” He let Trash calm down some more then continued. “Where I come from, we don't hold grudges or let minor things get in our way. You settle your disagreements right then and there.” Trash looked up to him hopefully. “Usually it's over territory disputes or food so I'll count the situation we’re in right now as territory. You want the alley and I want it too. You know how we're gonna get it?” he asked.

Trash perked up and smiled. “How?” 

“We’re gonna fuckin’ kill someone.” He said quickly and Trash physically recoiled at his words. 

“Woah, now!” she exclaimed and her eyes went wide. “Don't bring me into this, I'm not doing that! It took me weeks to understand and accept killing things for food, I couldn't take another cats life!”  she whimpered and started to back up. “No way, Grim! And you wonder why I called you crazy!” she kept walking backwards but bumped into the tire Grim had climbed over earlier. “I can't work with you to do that.” 

Grim bounded over to her and she jumped so badly she landed inside the tire. “Come on, Trash! I need a partner to fight alongside me, I can't do it alone! It's a two on two battle and you're the only one who I can convince to do it with me! Please!” he put his front two paws on the top of the tire and leaned his face into hers. “I need you to do this for me- for  _ us! _ ” 

Trash raised one of her paws up and cowered in front of him. “I told you I can't fight, I can't fight and I can't kill someone!” She caught sight of his scarlet paws up close. “That's not fucking normal!” she yelled and cursed without even realizing it. “Your fur is not like that,  _ that's blood!” _

Grim looked down at his own paws. All four of his paws and his tail tip were red and none of it was his own. “Sure it is, what's your point?” he waved his tail above his back to show Trash and she screamed the second she realized the tip of his tail was also blood.

“What is wrong with you!?” She turned and scrambled out of the tire and started to run to the alley. “Get away from me, you monster!” 

Grim fake pouted. “That's not a nice thing to say to someone you just met. Fine then, I'll just leave you to fade away in an air duct for the rest of your life. Whenever I find and rally everyone in this god forsaken city i’ll spare you! Cheers!” he turned and ran in the opposite direction with his tail streaming behind him like a flag waving in the wind.

Trash skidded to a stop and looked at the alleyway. It was such a nice place, it'd be a great idea to settle down there and just maybe, call home. The longer she waited the further Grim got. He had strong views and wild ambition but Trash knew she needed someone like that on her side. She did a few double takes between the alley and the gigantic city to try and convince herself that there was only one right choice. Rasha was probably just waiting for her to slip up, Cherry and Lime would talk her down to death and Wire… 

_ “Follow him.” _

Trash heard Shades voice in her head and reminded herself that she was only there to give advice for the best. Grim was out of view by now but he couldn't have gone far. 

_ “If you start running now you'll be able to catch up to him. Go! Don't let him get away!”  _

Trash couldn't properly respond for she was now dead set on this goal. She took off running and didn't think of anything else. She jumped and dodged the broken glass and concrete in the streets and charged in the direction Grim left in. Her heart was pounding with each jump she did, she twisted and scrambled around street corners and leapt over knocked down stop signs. She wanted to slow down and take in the eerie atmosphere but couldn't, she had to catch up to Grim. A block ahead she saw a red flurry of fur bolt around the corner and she picked up the pace. Stop lights were in the streets, road markings were torn up and tipped over electronic crosswalk signs were bursting with dangerous wires. She avoided all of the mayhem to the best of her ability and ran around the corner of an intersection. 

“Grim!” She yelled and fell in a pothole in the sidewalk. She picked herself back up quickly and ignored the scrape on her leg from the fall. “I can't go much longer, please slow down! Let's talk this through!” she wheezed but kept charging after him. She caught up to the block corner and was knocked off of her feet. Grim exploded from around the corner and tackled her into the middle of the road. The two cats tumbled over each other in a ball and Trash swung her claws out at him. Grim ducked and jumped back at her, he slammed her down on the broken pavement and left her gasping for breath. “What the hell!” she screeched and started to go into a coughing fit. To get the gray tom off of her she kicked at his stomach and he jumped back with a  _ hmph! _

Grim watched her struggle to get up with a smile on his face. “Look who came crawling back to me.” Trashs stomach ached and her head was spinning, she jumped at him again out of spite but he swerved to the side and smacked her head. He held her down while she kicked and squealed under him. “Go into battle with a clear head. If you're acting on impulse then you  _ will _ die.” he clenched his teeth and hissed. Trash wheezed again and pathetically flopped on her side. Her flank was quickly rising and falling as she struggled to breathe after the long run and unexpected fight. “Now get back up and attack me again.”

“I can't breathe!” Trash sucked in a big breath and started to cough. Grim shook his head in disappointment.

“The alley cats won't care if your legs snapped in half, no one cares about how you’re feeling! No one will stop attacking if you're down, that's not the goal of a battle! You said you don't know how to fight so I'm going to teach you one way or another!” Grim raised his hackles and tore his long tail through the air. “You followed me for a reason so stay dedicated to your cause! I'll teach you everything I know today then tomorrow we take the alley!” he triumphantly declared. 

Trash curled into a ball in the middle of the road and started to whimper more. “I can't keep up with you!” 

Grim stared down at her. “Don't say that. Get up and attack me again. Or you could always back out now. Hell, I don't care if you want to go back to that place.”

Trash hated how serious he was acting, he came into the alley and changed everything she had ever known. She didn't know if siding with him would be right but… what other choice did she have? “I don’t want to badly hurt any of those cats.” She confessed with a sad look. Grim looked around the four way intersection and nodded.

“I can work around that. I’ll do all the attacking and i’ll strike an opponent down. You’ll be my backup and defense, keep them away from me long enough so I can do what I must for us to succeed.” Grim explained and nudged Trash to her feet. She got up and looked around as well, she was now starting to realize they wouldn't be alone again. Someone was always around them even if she couldn’t see them. It was a disturbing thought and it made her wonder who was watching them now.

“So you’ll teach me how to defend myself?” Trash questioned. 

“We can start with that, yes.” Grim responded. 

Trash gave him a confident look and raised her head to where the sun caught and glinted in her eyes. “Let's do it then.” She firmly said. 

Grims face lit up and his golden eyes gleamed. “You’ll do it!? Hell yeah!” He chirped and affectionately nuzzled her cheek with his muzzle. He pulled back and friendly smiled, as if Trash agreeing to work with him had changed his entire attitude. 

“On one condition.” Trash started and let her expression and tone go serious. 

“Anything.” Grim quickly replied, his voice dragging with desperation.

“We eat breakfast first.” Trash said with a nod and a big, closed mouth smile. 

Grims jaw dropped at first but he returned the big smile. “Oh thank God, I was expecting you to want some crazy shit. But breakfast? Let's go find something. Pick a direction and let's get lost in this concrete jungle.” Trash looked at their four options and decided upon south. The two adventurers journeyed deeper into the city to find food. 

Grim saw a group of mice by a drain pipe so he sprung out at them and violently swiped one in the air then caught it in his mouth to kill it with a harsh bite. Trash stared at him in disbelief, his way of hunting was so aggressive and quick compared to her stalling and debating her morals way. 

“Good catch!” She purred in delight. Grim raised the mouse up to show it off and dropped it at her paws.

“Thanks, it's for Cherry so don't let me forget.” He mewed then looked around for signs of movement. “I'll find us something bigger to share, if you want.” 

Trash nodded to him and picked up the mouse. Together, they kept walking until Grim turned into an alley and took off after a flight of tan birds. He bolted down the alley and sprung up a fence with a few quick scrabbles. Trash rushed after him and jumped up on a box to climb the fence easier. She dug her claws into the wood and pulled herself up and over. The birds kept flying higher so Grim leapt on top of a silver trash can and flung himself in the air at the flock. The can tipped over and Trash squeaked and dropped the mouse at the metal clanging on the concrete. The lid rolled off and wobbled in front of her before falling flat.

Trash leaned down to sniff the lid but quickly pulled back when she saw some kind of rotting meat fall from the trash can. “Oh God, gross.” she muttered and stuck her tongue out in disgust. Grim came trotting back over to her with a fat bird dangling from his mouth. “What the hell is it?” She scowled and watched Grim place the bird down by the mouse. 

“I don't know but it looks like it's been here for quite some time.” Grim added on while blood dripped down his chin from the bird. Trash ignored this, she was more focused on the contents of the garbage. Grim reached out to paw the chunk of meat, he hooked it with his claw and fished it out to put on top of the lid. 

Trash gagged and nudged Grims shoulder harshly with her own. “Don't touch it!” she hissed. Grim narrowed his eyes and leaned down to the trash can on ground level. “Don't put your face in it either, let's go!” she barked again.

“There's something else in here.” Grim informed her and blindly shoved his front arm in to drag the other thing out, along with some miscellaneous other objects such as crushed cans and wrappers. His fur pricked when he touched what he was looking for, he put his other arm in and backed up to haul it out with two paws. Trash gave him space and held the can still so he could easily pull the thing out. Grim fully got it out and Trash immediately started to wail.

“That's a  _ cat!”  _ She screamed and shook her head back and forth. Grim lazily looked down at the tan corpse and sighed.

“They've been here for quite some time if the lid was on and it wasn't disposed of.” Grim sniffed their face and groaned. “This wasn't a natural cause.” 

Trash puffed up her cheeks and started to whine more. “Well what killed them then!” she inspected the corpse herself and knew her observations weren't as dignified as Grims. All she saw was a cruel tragedy while Grim viewed it as an interesting sight and something to investigate. “I just wanted breakfast!” 

Grim pushed the meat around to check it out, he noticed something besides mold on it and grumbled. “Look, do you see that green discoloration where the bite is?” He pushed it closer to Trash and her stomach flipped. She gave him a small nod and he continued. “Rat poisoning. Someone did this on purpose, this meat has cuts in it that aren't from a cat. Now look at this fellow,” Grim pulled the dead cats jaw down. “The tongues green and there's foam. They must have eaten the poison thinking it was nothing.” he pushed the mouth closed again but the tongue lolled out on the floor along with some foam. “It's a shame.”

“Please clean your paws somewhere.” Trash murmured. 

“I know.” he replied. “This isn't even the first corpse I've seen that had no exact reasoning behind it. Who could have done this?” 

“Same here, I've only seen two- er. More. In my life.” Trash mindlessly said which made Grim look at her weird.

“You've never left the alley or the surrounding area, right?” Grim asked and Trash froze up. “How exactly did you join the alley cats?” he pried.

“I..” she started slowly, unsure if she was ready to tell the cat she had met yesterday something so personal to her. “I came from the neighborhood on top of the hill next to the forest.” she said calmly. Grim gave her a look that she couldn't decipher. 

“Where were you during the earthquake?” Grim swayed his tail and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. 

“Our house collapsed and my mother had to carry me to safety.” Trash answered in a vague manner, she was terrible at lying to hide the truth so she was hoping he wouldn't get there. “We walked down the hill and-”

“You saw a slaughtered mother cat and her kittens.” Grim finished for her and she blinked. Trash assumed he didn't know the alley cats were the ones who killed the family and she hoped it stayed that way. “That's what I was talking about, strange how the world works.” he shook his head with a  _ tsk. _

“You lived in that neighborhood too?” Trash tried to keep the conversation going so she could ignore the body in front of her. 

Grim picked up the bird and tried to talk with it in his mouth. “Ymmph.” 

“Interesting.” Trash whispered and glanced down at the feline again. She couldn't take her eyes off of the lightly striped tabby, it's dull and cloudy green eyes seemed to call to her. “This is so absurd. How can someone be filled with so much hate that they'd do this?”

Seeing that the conversation wasn't over, Grim annoyedly dropped the bird. It hit the ground with a squishing noise and Trash flattened her ears. “You make it sound like a cat did this, this is the work of a cruel human.” Grim said with a bit of edge to his tone.

“I know, but what if a cat was capable of this?” The calico shifted her paws and kept staring. 

“If you're knowledgeable then it's possible, always assume the worst from everyone around you.” Grim looked around the alley and flicked his tail. “Let's take this elsewhere.” he picked up his bird once more and jumped up the fence. He looked down at Trash who refused to leave the poisoned cat. She gave him a sorrowful look and Grim felt his chest lurch at the others concern. He landed on the opposite side and waited to see Trash poke her head up on the fence as well but she never came. The gray tom placed his catch down then stealthily sprung back up. 

Trash was trying to drag the lid on top of the cat to cover its body, she was struggling to get it completely on them without touching the corpse. Grim debated jumping back and forgetting he ever saw her, but something convinced him to drop down on her side. Grim nosed the lid up the tabbys flank and made eye contact with the calico while they worked the lid up. Once the body was fully covered the two of them took a few steps back to look at what they had done. 

Trash lowered her head and Grim glanced at her with concern. “I lost my appetite.” she rasped. 

“Let's get you home.” He rested his tail on her back and let her jump over the fence first so he could grab the mouse. He picked it up and prepared to climb the fence but looked at the makeshift grave. Grim quietly turned around and placed the mouse on top of the lid as a sign of respect. He dipped his head then vanished over top of the fence.


	13. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to prepare and plan for the future, the time to make a change is NOW.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... if you don't know, Darkened Paths has a Twitter account now! All fanart and updates will be posted there, along with some exclusive short stories (Disis and Shade) in the link in the pinned tweet! Go check it out! Hope you guys enjoy todays update, next ones coming in a week! 
> 
> \---
> 
> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

Dust nuzzled his mouth into the dead rat in front of him. Dirt watched him eat in silence, for he had nothing to say after what his brother had done yesterday. The freckled sibling was the best hunter out of the two of them, in fact, Dust didn't know how to hunt at all. Instead, he had Dirt hunt for him in secret just so he wouldn't ruin his prideful image among the alley cats.

Dirt watched him eat with a bored expression. This time, Dust hadn't even thanked his brother for the great catch and it bothered Dirt. His brother was changing and he seemed to be at a crossroads on where to take his future.

“What do you think about Grim?” Dirt broke the silence by asking. Dust looked up from his meal and swiped his tongue over his mouth.

“Why do you ask? Is it not obvious? I don't like him. He went berserk on our group and he left me no choice but to strike him into silence.” Dust answered and took an angry bite. Dirt thumped his nub of a tail on the carpet. The two cats were sitting in the back corner of the first floor side building next to the stairs just so Dirt could watch the broken door cautiously like he always did. 

“Why did Rasha send you with the others? I didn't even know you had left until you came back and I don't like that.” Dirt mewed. Dust didn't respond, his excuse was that he was trying to chew a tough piece of meat from the rat. Dirt bared his teeth and swatted the scrappy creature away from his brother. It made Dust jump and flick his notched ear. “This is serious.” Dirt snapped.

Despite the two looking nothing alike, the toms both had a uniformed cut in one of their ears for the claim of “distinctifying them”. They hadn't come from the neighborhood, they lived together in the woods and willingly joined the bigger group. At least, Dust did. Their ears were torn by Rasha and Lash and Dirt hated how he felt almost like they owned him. No one else had these “initiation cuts” but then again, all the other cats were neighbors before the earthquake. 

“You need to listen to me and listen closely.” Dirt hissed and crawled closer to Dust. “None of this is normal, from Rasha including you in the group who had  _ clear plans  _ of finding that tom to you attacking him.” his eyes flicked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

Dust looked baffled but he rushed to defend himself. “I chose to go with the group! I saw Sunset go out and I followed her, they let me go! You don't know what's going on!”

Dirt stood up and narrowed his eyes. “You're right, I don't, and that terrifies me. We don't know where Trash and Grim are and everyone's in a fuss about it, yet I'm here lecturing my baby brother about something he's too naive to see!” Dirt snapped and shoved his face in Dusts, who was still laying down. 

“I don't need you to explain this to me. I can tell things are going downhill and I can defend myself whenever that happens.” Dust stood up as well to match Dirt, except he visibly was taller than the older. Dirts stocky legs were nothing compared to his fit and tall brother. Dirt instead chose to starve himself so he could feed Dust, something he was called out on and promised he’d stop but never did. 

“You will die on your own.” Dirt spat and ignored Cherry and Lime who had entered the building were approaching them after hearing yelling from the alley. They got closer and Dirt shook his head. “This conversation is over.” He stormed past the striped cat but Dust spun around to speak more before he left. 

“Is it really? May I go back to eating, oh wise one?” Dust snarled sarcastically and ripped his claws into the carpet. 

 

Dirt paused and slightly turned to look at the rat that only had a few bites left of it. He made eye contact with Dirts orange eyes and straightened his posture. “Of course. You are what you eat, after all.” He said with a smile. Lime burst out laughing at the toms insult and Cherry started to giggle. Dirt walked out the front door with Cherry and Lime following closely behind just so they could leave Dust alone in the building. With the three of them gone, Dust turned to his rat and sighed. Dirt was right in every way but he couldn't let it get to him. A harsh and long shadow suddenly fell into the room and he saw two figures walk past the door and towards the alley. Dust recognized the striking white and red tail tips and quickly trailed after them. He followed the crowd like he always did and let his head shamefully hang.

Trash carried the bird on the way back to the alley, the two of them took their time to carefully pick the correct way back before they got lost in the maze that is the broken city. Grim saw Cherrys pink fur up by the dumpster so he motioned Trash to follow him. “Cherry!” Grim said chipperly which caused the preppy cat to turn around. She smiled when she saw the large bird Trash was holding.

“That's for me, I assume?” She purred and without waiting for an answer, snatched the bird from Trashs mouth with her own. Trash squeaked in shock, feathers were left in her mouth and she was forced to spit them out. Lime rolled her eyes at the small feathers and Trash. 

Trash wanted to snap at the foolish feline but Grim saw her rage and beat her to speaking. “Yep! All for you, have a nice day!” Grim said a bit too enthusiastically. He pushed Trash back and made her head towards the side building. Cherry and Lime waved their tails and blinked awkwardly.  

 

“I don’t trust that bird, he probably did something to it.” Lime mumbled and sniffed the bird. Cherry set it down and nuzzled it over onto its back to sniff for herself. 

“It smells fine but its not as fresh as i’d want it to be.” She complained and watched Grim rush Trash around the corner. 

“So are you going to eat it?” Lime asked. 

Cherry sniffed the bird once more and nodded. “Yeah.” She laid down in place and started to tear at a wing. Lime sat down beside her and looked up to Dust. 

“You okay? You look like you saw a ghost.” Dust perked up when he realized the silver cat was talking to him. He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the alley entrance.

“Just fine.” He stubbornly answered. “Grim gives me the creeps, I heard what he told Cherry and I don’t like it one bit.” He wrinkled his face in disgust and stuck out his tongue to show his point. Lime chuckled at his expression and dove down to take a chunk of meat from the bird without asking Cherry. Cherry jokingly hissed at her and swatted her away with sheathed claws. 

With Cherry dismissing her, Lime went over to Dust who was sitting alone with his head leaning against the wall. “Guessing Dirt wasn’t very nice to you? You guys were yelling pretty loudly and he never snaps like that.” She mewed and pressed her temple to the wall like he was doing.

“No, he was rude as can be. I don’t know what's gotten into him! That’s also my point, he never snaps like that.” Dust whispered to Lime since he knew Dirt was near the entrance of the alley chatting with Bronze and Spark. 

“Maybe you should tell him to knock it off.” Lime tried to give some advice but knew it was mostly all on the spot bluffing. “After all, if you don’t tell him what's wrong then he’ll never change.”

Dust pulled his cheek away from the wall and smiled to her. “Since when did you become the bearer of great advice?” 

“I never was and never will be, i’m just trying to help you out.” Lime pushed his arm with her paw and laughed. “If you ruin everything then you can't drag my name into it, though!”

Dust knew she was joking but he didn’t know how to respond to that. If he ruined his and Dirts relationship then he knew he’d be done for. But was it already ruined? Could he fix it still? Dust heard Dirts gentle voice and looked back to him. “I’m afraid, Lime.” He confessed.

“Aren’t we all?” Lime raised an eyebrow to him.

“You don’t understand where i’m coming from. I feel so disconnected from everyone else, Dirts going to disown me one of these days because i'm too high maintenance and that’ll be the end of me.” Dust hit his head against the wall again and Lime jumped back. 

“You need to quit being so anxious about this, take a walk and clear your head.” Dust looked up at the she cat and her quick change of tone. “For God's sake, he’s not going to leave you. Nothing here ever changes and it never will. Get that in your head and straighten up, no one likes a sloucher.” Lime snarled at him then went back to Cherry to presumably gossip about him. Dust pulled himself away from the wall and looked at her sadly. He gathered his thoughts then went back inside the building to lay down next to the stairs. 

Meanwhile, Trash and Grim were back in the air duct planning and taking a break. “Tomorrow morning we present Lash with my idea. We fight whoever takes up the challenge and we win!” Grim announced to Trash, who looked very alarmed.

“But,”

“But nothing! I’ll do the hard work and you cover me. How many times do I need to go over this?” Grim quickly said. “We’ll go back out into the city and train. It’ll go fast and we’ll spend the day out there. Once you’ve got the basics, we come back and rest up. Neither of us will die tomorrow, I swear to you.” 

“Let’s go then. I want to help out in every way that I can and I want to make sure we’re both safe.” Trash mewed and started to crawl past Grim to get out of the air duct. 

“Hang on, I need you to understand that you’re not actually going to be fighting. I don’t want these cats to hurt you any more than they already have, got it? I want to teach you how to defend yourself, not how to kill. I don’t want to see you kill someone, I know how uncomfortable you get.” Grim spoke seriously then made his way out onto the open floor. 

“I understand.” Trash confirmed. Grim looked at her and smiled.

“Good.” Grim said flatly then leapt down the stairs. Trash jumped down as well and the two of them headed into the city. “When I surprised you at the intersection you had a good response time but I want to work on that more.” Grim glanced behind him to make sure she was still following. Trash padded carefully behind him with angled ears. 

“I'm listening.” She confirmed. The pair walked up the block and Grim kept talking.

“I'll teach you dodges and simple attacks, I think it'll be enough. This will be a fast fight. Hell, you can even do it with your eyes closed it'll be so easy.” Grim reassured her and picked up his pace. “I'm so excited to get started!”  Grim chipperly said which startled Trash.

“I'm excited to see what you teach me!” Trash responded and built up a trot. He was so enthusiastic about this and it made Trash feel confident in his abilities to fight. He was acting like a kit which made Trash want to embrace it too. If she couldn't stay young forever then she at least wanted to enjoy the foolishness of age. Grim was so serious even when he tried not to be, he seemed so goal driven and Trash wondered if she could match that. “So what will you do when we win?” She suddenly asked. 

“Make a change, of course.” Grim started. “We can take it easy then work on finding others. You said it yourself, we are not alone. This city is home to so many cats in hiding and there's not a doubt in my mind that there will be more overtime. Life will come back to this city because life never stops it's cycle.” he stopped and saw how impressed Trash looked.

“I like that.” Trash slightly smiled.

“Really? I'm glad, I've been practicing it for hours in my head.  _ Ha!” _ The chartreux laughed then eased out of it but kept the smile on his face. 

“It's a great plan, we can make this work!”  Trash encouraged and jumped up. Seeing that the open road was just ahead, she sprinted and leapt in the middle of it. She skidded on the concrete and crouched down to whip her tail around above her back. “C’mon!”

“You're asking for it!” Grim howled and charged at her with his ears back. “Dodge me!” Trash dropped her weight and swung herself to the right. Grim landed cleanly but swirled right back with a paw out. With his claws sheathed, Grim smacked Trash in the cheek. Trash gasped at his hit but repeated the action back to him with less force. Since she didn't have a good speed to match Grims wits, he snapped his jaw on her arm and threw her to the concrete. Trash screeched for mercy and Grim let go instantly. 

“Too far! That freaking hurt!” she hissed and stretched her arm out. “I know what you're going to say: but  _ Trash!  _ The alley cats will break your arm into pieces! I know they will so I don't want you doing it before the fight.” Trash raised her hackles and forced Grim to give her space.

“It's for your own good! If I baby you during training then you won't know how to properly play defense!” Grim flared his nostrils and showed his gums. “Grow up!” He spat. 

“Maybe you need to stop growing up! Not everything is work!” Trash retorted. Grim paused and his mouth started to hang open. Trash assumed he was done arguing so she loosened up herself. She fixed her posture and watched how Grims eyes couldn't focus on anything, his head was clearly in a scurry so Trash tried to change the subject by offering to continue sparring.

“I want to be a kit, I want to be a kit again just like you! I've experienced enough in my short life that broke my innocence and shattered my childish purity- something I can never get back.But Trash, my point is, your age doesn't matter. It's what's in your mind and heart that matters. We all hold ambitions of some kind and damn it, I'm going to fix what those adults started and broke!” Grim pushed his face into hers, sighed, and made serious eye contact. “I'll ask you this one more time, are you helping me or are you not? Please,  _ please  _ don't make me give up hope on you.” 

Trash knew it'd be worth it, she had to put all of her trust in his cat but she didn't know if she could risk it. After all, she believed she was doing pretty well alone. Grim looked exhausted from their bickering so Trash worked a cheerful smile on her face. “We’re not going to defeat them without training, let's get back to it!” Trash bounced backwards and waved her tail over her back. 

Grim blinked and a look of joy washed the tiredness from his face. “We’ll fight with our claws sheathed and I’ll stop whenever you tell me to. Now, knock me to the ground and keep me there!” Trash sprung and head butted Grims shoulder, he lost his footing and Trash pressed her paw on his hind leg to make him fall. He fell with a huff and Trash went to pull off of him. “No, stay there. I want to show you how to get out of this and what to do if your opponent tries to escape your grasp. Thrashing won't always work  _ especially  _ if your enemy is stronger than you.” Trash cautiously repositioned her paws and put one on his shoulder blade to steady her hold. “They'll kick the shit out of ya  _ then _ thrash.” Grim rolled over a bit then shot one of his hind legs out and whacked Trash in her chest. She jumped back on her hind legs which gave Grim enough time to twist himself up and get in a fighting position. “If you're grounded-  _ you're dead! _ ” 

Trash dry coughed off to the side and cleared her throat. “That was harsh.” she mumbled and shook her fur. 

“That's what combat is, sweetie.” Grim cooed and flicked his ripped ears.

“You…” Trash mockingly growled. Grim smiled and gave her a charming look.

“Me.” Grim chuckled. 

Trash gave him a challenging glare then burst out of her spot and tackled Grim to the ground. The two young felines practiced basic attacks all day with a few breaks in between sessions. Grim taught Trash everything he knew  _ except  _ killing moves or tactics. He instead taught her how to dodge them, should she be faced with the situation. After all day of their training, Grim noticed Trashs drive to attack was only building up. Her blows were getting harsher and Grim saw it clearly. Whenever she got too worked up he could call five and have them take a water break. With their legs aching and bodies sore, Grim laid down by a puddle that had formed from a rain pipe that ran down the side of a building. Trash bent down besides him and lapped at the foul tasting water.

“Did you know: the mountains water is the best in the land? It's cold year round and is remarkable. It can't even compare to this disgusting and discolored mess.” Grim spoke up gently. Trash looked at him as she drank, swallowed, then sat down.

“Is it?” She questioned and looked down at the water. It was so murky she could barely see her own reflection. 

“Absolutely. I'll have to take you there one of these days.” Grim hummed and took another sip of the water which rippled and broke Trashs vague reflection. She stood up and looked around them, it was getting late and a few of the street lamps had began to turn on to illuminate the darkened streets. A lamp behind Grim flicked on and his black fur seemed to turn light blue and yellow. He pushed himself up to his paws and stretched.

“We heading back to the alley now?” Trash asked. 

“Yep, but this will be the last time we go back with bad thoughts about it. Tomorrow's the big day so say your prayers and wish for the best.” Grim nodded his head and started to limp back to the alley with Trash. “God, everything hurts, you fight hard.” he mumbled. 

“I'll take that as a compliment since I learned from the best!” Trash giggled then bumped Grims shoulder with her own. He grunted and rolled his shoulder to relax his sore muscles. 

“I’m glad we know the way back to the alley though, it’d be hell to get lost in this place.” Grim commented and looked at the surrounding windows. Even though the city had no people in it, they walked on the sidewalk instead of the road to play it safe. The street lamps shone down on their pelts to make them gleam in the shadows. As they drew closer to the alley, Trash paused and exhaled.

“Do you think they wonder where we went?” She said. Grim frowned to her and shook his head.

“They only care about themselves. They’re probably hoping a building fell on us or something.” Grim huffed. 

“Tomorrow is the big day though, I can’t wait for them to get what's coming for them. We can do this!” Trash hyped up. “Let's go upstairs and get some rest, I don’t want to fight with anyone whos still awake.” She led them inside the building and walked past the sleeping cats. Bronze was huddled in a pile with Sunset and Spark, he raised his bold head up and narrowed his eyes. Trash caught his gaze and picked up her pace to the stars. Dust was sleeping by the stairs as usual, except Dirt wasn’t with him. They started to walk up the stairs and noticed a brown huddle in the corner of the stair landing. 

“Hey, isn’t that uhh…” Grim squinted and jogged up the stairs to get to them. “Sand?” He whispered.

“Dirt.” Trash corrected.

“That's what I said.” Grim quickly shot back. “Should we ask why he's sleeping here?” Trash walked next to him and shrugged while she looked at the sleeping tom.

“I say we leave him and worry about ourselves.” Trash pushed herself in between Grim and Dirt and jumped over the stair gap. 

“Yeesh, okay.” Grim mewed and closely followed suit. He walked past Dirt which made the freckled cats whiskers twitch and leg kick out. Dirt jumped up and gasped when Grims tail accidentally swept in front of his nose. Grim hurriedly leapt for the stairs right as Dirt called out to him.

“Who!?” Dirts eyes were wide as he gasped for breath after being suddenly awoken. Grim got startled mid jump and twisted his body awkwardly then fell on the pile of rubble with a curse. Dirt shot up from his slumber and rushed to the stair gap to look down at Grim, who was sliding down the rubble pile. “Are you okay?!” he yelped.

Grim pushed himself up and shook the fragments from his fur. “Do I look okay?!” he snarled and looked up at the small cat. Trash looked down at him from the second floor landing with her ears back. 

“Grim, come on…” She mewed. 

“You're a fucking idiot!” Grim yowled at Dirt. “You and your brother both!” Dust jumped up from his resting spot and peered around the stairs to see Grim. Grim charged up the stairs and Dirt dropped down to look smaller. Grim raised his claws to strike but Trash yelled again. 

“Stand down!” She screamed from higher up. Dust swiftly ran up behind Grim and latched his claws in his shoulders and dragged him away from his brother. Dust threw him off to the side and prepared himself for an attack. Grim hissed, jumped at him and tackled him down the stairs. Trash gasped at his forcefulness then sprung down the stairs with Dirt. She stood next to him while they watched the cats tussle on the floor. “Grim, please! You're going to hurt yourself!” she said with concern.

“I'm going to fucking kill him!” Grim screeched and sliced Dusts shoulder clean open. Blood ran down his arm and he fell to the floor due to his balance being thrown off. Grim lashed down and struck him in the back which made him yelp for mercy. “ _ Beg! _ ” Grim demanded and slammed his heavy paw down in front of his muzzle.

“Please stop!” Dust whimpered and covered his face with his paws. Trash looked at them sadly but was relieved when Grim backed up. He spit at the floor by his head and grumbled.

“You're lucky I fight with honor.” he snapped. “Touch me again and I'll throw my values out the window.” Grim walked up the stairs and clamped his teeth in front of Dirt to emphasize his harshness. Dirt bolted down the stairs to Dusts side while Trash and Grim jumped the gap once more. 

“It hurts.” Dust mewed. Dirt looked at the blood on his sibling and sighed. 

“You didn't have to do that.” Dirt laid down by Dusts head to cradle him.

“But I did, he would have killed you!” Dust argued back and flicked his tail. 

“He wouldn't, I sense something about him. He couldn't have taken my life and he won't take yours- so long as you quit being so foolish.” The brown cats looked at each other's faces and smiled. “We’re going to be safe. Let's rest here tonight, I don't want to stretch your wounds more.” Dirt scooted himself closer to Dust and settled down.

“That sounds like a good plan. I love you.” Dust yawned and rested his head against Dirts. Dirt purred in response and forced himself to sleep. 

Upstairs, Trash was talking to Grim about why he needs to stop being so wild with his attacks. Grim wasn't listening to her, he just kept fighting back with his justified reasons. They both called a truce in their arguing and decided to go to bed with mutually cleared heads. 

Trash stretched her legs but her paw pads kicked the cold wall. She pulled them back to herself and looked at Grim. “It won't always be this way.” she hopefully said.

“Change happens tomorrow.” Grim reminded her. “Now go to bed.” he mumbled then rolled over. 

“Change happens tomorrow.” Trash repeated. “Yeah, we're going to restart this broken city.” Grim opened his scarred eye and smirked.

“Damn right we are.” He laughed. “Goodnight, Trash.” he laid his head down again. 

Trash rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling of the air duct. With sparkling eyes and a smile on her face, she cooed goodnight to her friend then fell asleep. 

xXx

_ “You in the mood to talk? Tomorrow's a big day for you and I'm sure that you're excited!” _

Trash blankly looked at the tall ceiling of the church, her head and shoulders were cushioned by Shades fluffy tail and her paws were tucked up to her chest. “I'm sore and exhausted. I'm sorry, Shade.” She snuggled herself deeper into the white fur of the large cats tail who was laying down on the pew with her and dozed off peacefully.


	14. Revolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WE ARE THE NEW REVOLUTION!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EEEEE!!! THIS CHAPTER WAS SO SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE AND ITS MASSIVE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD CUT ANY OF THIS OFF TO SAVE FOR ANOTHER UPDATE... BUCKLE UP BECAUSE ITS DOWNHILL FROM HERE ON OUT!!
> 
> Darkened Paths now has some new content warnings! Please check them out, this is a reminder as to how heavy the writing/themes may get in this series. The warnings will be updated by chapter (if any are needed) to avoid spoilers, do keep this in mind. 
> 
> \---
> 
> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

"Rise and shine, sunshine.” Grim nudged Trashs forehead with his nose. Trash rubbed her eyes with her paws and looked around. “Today's the day, do you want to do anything before we go down?” Grim moved aside to give Trash space to properly wake up. Trash stretched her legs out then crawled out of the air duct with Grim.

“I would say let's eat first, but I don't want to fight on a full stomach. Let's get it over with…” Trash sleepily jumped the stairs and Grim bounded behind her. The calico shook her head while she walked on the landing. “Heaven help us, I can't believe we're doing this.” the first floor was completely empty because it was gorgeous outside. Whenever Trash and Grim made it out the front door they were greeted with the sun's warm rays on their pelts. “It's so nice outside!” Trash squeaked. There was a gentle breeze in the air that ruffled her pelt and made her grin like a kit.

“The world is supporting us. Everything around us is cheering us on.” Grim purred and twitched his whiskers. “Me and you- let's do this!” He yelled to her. Reassured by his confidence, Trash cheered with him and they turned the corner to trot into the alley. Grim walked low, he kept his head down and strode like a snake about to strike. He got halfway down the alley but paused to yell up at Lash abound Rasha who were lounging on the dumpster. “Lash! I'm here to propose a challenge for our freedom _and_ this alley!” He raised his head and declared loudly which immediately got everyone's attention. Heads turned and the annoying whispering started.

Lash shifted to sit up but Rasha stayed lying down with his paws crossed in front of him. “You have my attention. Go on, boy.” Lash said.

Grim looked to the cats against the walls and made sure they were paying attention to him. “I come from the woods and we settle disagreements with organized and fair fights.” Lash perked his tall, tasseled ears and raised an eyebrow. “Trash and I versus two cats of your choosing. First cat dead on either side loses.” Grim spoke clearly while he said his terms, he was so brave and Trash truly admired that. Wanting to impress him and the alley cats, Trash stepped up next to Grim.

“If we win, you all leave the city for good. This alley will be ours and none of you are welcome back.” Trash said. This got some attention out of the crowd. Those who were gossiping were quiet now and hushed the others who still dared to speak.

“Why don't you both run back to the air duct with your tails between your legs. Turn back now and I'll forget.. _this_ ever happened.” Rasha joined in and waved his paw that dangled off the dumpster around in a circle. Knew that he wasn't being taken seriously, Grim snarled.

“No! I'm challenging all of you in this! You step down here, see how long you last!” Grims hackles raised as he lost his temper. Rasha stood up and showed his teeth. Lash swished his tail in Rasha's face and fanned him backwards to make him be quiet.

“And for us, when we shove you back to your rightful place, you both will never talk back to us again. You will listen and obey us like you should have always done.” Lash said his terms then looked around. “Who will be challenging Trash and Grim?” the gray leader asked.

Dirt looked to Dust and was shocked to see him not get up. His brother sat nervously next to him- did he finally learn he couldn't beat Grim? Dust knew what Dirt was thinking so he shook his head no. “Wise choice.” Dirt whispered in his siblings ear.

Wire stepped away from the wall with a bit too much confidence. “I'll fight you!” he said in his croaky and rough voice. His daughter, Cherry, stood up as well. She was taller than her mother and father and Trash had to size her up. Tall legs and thin features. Lithe but also possibly delicate? Wire, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He was big and stocky and made Trashs ears flatten when she saw his cloudy eyes lock onto her. She was filled with so much anxiety and regret that she couldn't help but shake.

“You said this was going to be a fair fight! Grim, we can't take on Wire! Even if it was just us and him, he'd crush us like a fly!” Trash hissed through clenched teeth to her battle partner. “Demand someone else!” She whined. Wire has had it out for her life since the day she met him. Big and rude, Trash hated him and he hated her. He wouldn't hesitate to go for her neck and kill her like prey. Grim indirectly drove him out of the air duct and has been nothing but a nuisance to him. Then it hit Trash, Wire had killed her before but Shade saved her. Who's to say he wouldn't do it again, especially now since he would be cheered on? Trash felt boulders of fear build up in her stomach.

“Relax, don't let them see right through you. Straighten up and gather your courage.” Grim twined his tail with hers to calm the young she cat down.

_“I'll protect you. I'm here.”_

Trash wanted to feel comforted knowing that Shade was here but if anything, it made her feel worse. Where was the strange Queen? Was she watching from the rooftops? Trash looked up to see nothing.

_“Don't worry about me, worry about the fact that Cherry is eyeing you down.”_

Trash gulped and choked on her spit when she saw that Cherry was scraping her front paws on the floor like a bull about to charge. Distracted by her daydreaming, Grim had already instructed the alley cats to back up to the entrance to give them enough room to fight. She tightened her tails grip on Grims tail.

Spunky watched from the entrance of the alley with Dark, they were looking over their group mates heads and shoulders from how far back they were moved. Spunky preferred it this way if she was honest, she didn't want to see her wretched daughter and horrid husband fight the two cats she supported. She felt torn on who she was to root for- family or the ones in the right?

Lime was in front of Cherry to motivate and hype her up, the two had a sister like bond so the gray cat wished her friend well with a lick to her cheek. She scurried off to stand in the crowd with Mist and the rest of the alley cats. With the alley halfway cleared, the four cats turned to look up to their leader. Well, the leader that everyone but Trash and Grim agreed with. Grim broke away from Trash to stand by himself.

Lash looked over his cats and deeply nodded. “Begin.” he said. Trash looked at Grim and saw a flash of black fur when he lunged directly at Wire with a screech. He dug his front claws into his fluffy cheeks and scraped his hind paws down his neck and chest. Cherry jumped aside with a nervous and startled expression. Her face immediately changed when she saw how scared Trash looked. Cherry ran at her in a zigzag pattern to throw her off and smacked her skull on her jaw. Trash yelped and crashed to the floor, she dizzily laid at Sunsets massive paws.

“Get in there!” Sunset hissed then pushed her forward to Cherry. Trash didn't even have her claws out, she was so afraid to strike the other and engage in a true fight. But the fight for her freedom had already begun and she needed to get involved.

“Stand up!” Cherry snapped to her. Trash steadily got up and unsheathed her claws. She looked over to see how Grim was doing, he was running circles around Wire and striking him wherever he could. But Wire was tough, nothing was working due to his dense fur and matted clumps. Grim grew frustrated and upset from the lack of injury he was causing, he stubbornly leapt at Wires neck from the side.

Trash kept getting distracted, next thing she knew she was getting slashed into the wall. Cherry clawed her face and forced her to cower against the wall. Trash knew she could die from staying still so she feebly swung out her arm to keep Cherry back. Any time Cherry tried to get closer Trash lashed out and hissed. “How's it going, pops?” Cherry snickered and looked behind her to watch Wire snap his short muzzle on Grims collar and wrestle him to the ground. Grim twisted and kicked the others heavy paw but knew he was trapped when Wire placed both his paws on either side of him.

“Good.” Wire said and smiled down to Grim. Grim flinched in disgust at his yellow teeth and gross breath. With Cherry facing the other way in a confident manner, Trash leaned up and raked her claws on the tall cats cheek. Cherry took a step back to flinch and shake her head clear from pain. Trash scrambled in front of the dumpster and looked up to Lash. Lash nodded his head to her and glanced to Wire trying to snap at Grims neck. But the messy cat couldn't get to his fur, his short muzzle and small teeth had difficulty nipping the collar out of the way. Not to mention the teeth and claws already in the green collar, they poked Wires face like talons and effectively kept Grim somewhat safe. Grim struggled to move his hind legs, Wire was so short that his belly nearly touched the ground.

Nearly about to explode with rage, Grim started to yell. “Get off me you fat _fuck!_ ” he hissed and clawed his chest. Grim wasn't touching him at all, his breathing was getting harsher from Wires weight and the seriousness of the situation. He was trapped and Trash was alone to take on Cherry. Grim was suddenly very regretful about not teaching Trash killing blows. “ _Ghh_ \- kill her, Trash!” Wire had gotten grims collar pushed up and was tearing at his fur. His short nips felt like Grim was getting stabbed with barbed wire, a feeling he never wanted to experience again.

“Yeah Trash, listen to him! Go on and kill me!” Cherry cackled. Trash pressed herself against the dumpster and whimpered pitifully. Cherry advanced towards her and Trash jumped to the left. As if it was a result for her choice, Grim screamed in pain. She fearfully looked towards her friend who was completely under the massive cat and ran past Cherry to jump.

Trash sped past her and got her back scraped by Cherrys claws but she pressed on. She let out a scream and flung herself at Wire. “Get off of him!” she tangled her claws into his dense fur and forced him to stagger around in pain. Knowing that Trash could potentially hurt him, Wire bit at Grim harder and made him gasp for air.

“ _Anh_ \- Trash!” Grim wheezed and coughed more. Trash struggled to get to Wire, her claws stood no chance against his matted pelt that seemed to never end. She was ripping at his fur and clawing anywhere that she could, but he bucked backwards and threw her off like a fly. _CLANG!_ She crashed into the big dumpster head first and tumbled to the floor. Her limp head rested against the concrete, she couldn't accept her failure but she knew that she had already lost.

_“Get up!”_

Trash sneezed and noticed blood was trickling from her nose. “Oh my god.” she mewed and tried to wipe at it but flinched in pain. The young cat stilled her body and tried to even her breaths. “I can't get up.” She whispered a loud.

_“Think to me, don't speak. Now listen, I'm going to take over and I'm going to get you out of this.”_

Trash closed her eyes and sniffed back the blood that dared to fall from her nostril. _Grims going to die._ She thought to Shade and flattened her ears when he cried out again.

_“Stand up! You'll die before he does!”_

Shade yelled in her head so Trash attempted to stand. She got her chest off the floor but Cherry smashed her paws in between Trashs shoulders and forced her to submit in defeat. Trash whimpered as she was held down. _Please help me_. She pleaded to Shade.

“ _Ghk-! TRASH!_ ” Grim brokenly screeched as a dying breath. He was losing steam, he had stopped fighting Wires tears.

Trash gathered the strength to raise her head and look back at Grim. His long tail wasn't thumping anymore and she saw his hind legs stiffen and drop. _Help him!_

“Hah, is he dead?” Cherry let go of Trash and smirked. Lash leaned forward and paid attention to Trash. Rasha walked behind him and craned his head to look around Wire.

Spunky raised her head above the others in the small crowd, her ears were back and she was pushing to see the outcome of the fight. “Come on, get up.” She whispered under her breath.

“Loosen up a bit, Wire. Let's see if he shakes like a fish!” Rasha sneered. Wire put his paws next to Grims head and stopped biting him. His throat had areas of missing fur and blood patches where the fur was gone. His eyes were closed but after a minute they shot open and he coughed in Wires chest.

“He's still kicking!” Wire howled and announced to the group. The alley cats burst out in laughter while Grim kept hacking for air.

“How long do you think he'll last?” Cherry asked sarcastically. Through blurred vision and a headache, Trash stared up at Cherry blindly. The light that shone behind her was enough to make the knocked down calicos head spin. The way that she joked about Grims near death made Trash furious. She unsheathed her claws and tried to get up again but fell. _Save Grim_. Trash thought. Even her conscious was slurring, she couldn't think straight which made her wonder if it was from Shade starting her process or the head injury she suffered from Wire tossing her like nothing.

_“This will hurt.”_

Trash let herself fall into a state of ease, she didn't know how to help make this transition smooth but she figured completely giving herself up would make it easier. Her earlier question of why her head throbbed was immediately answered; it was because of Wire. The pain he caused her head couldn't even compare to the level of fury that began to rip itself through her veins and mind like a pack of wild wolves. Shades possession felt like it was tearing her limb from limb, the unbearable pain made her clench her teeth and start crying. She didn't want to scream, she couldn't alarm the cats as to what was about to come. But god, if she could scream out her anguish she would have done it, she wanted yell and sob like there was no tomorrow. Her nose bleed got worse and her vision went black like it was flicked off. Spit fell out of her mouth without her even realizing it, she dug her claws against the concrete and noticed a new strength that wasn't there before. She began to shake uncontrollably and realized she was going through a small seizure. No one paid attention though, they assumed she was just harshly grieving over Grims near death. If she died it's not like they would care anyway. Everyone in the alley was fixated on the asphyxiation Wire was putting Grim through, only Lash noticed the ‘attack’ Trash was going through.

Once the possession was complete, Trash realized she was still in her body but felt.. shoved aside. It was almost as if Shade forced Trashs mental being aside to make way for her own controls. Their roles were switched, Shade could speak aloud and Trash could only communicate through thoughts. Trash jumped up with enough energy to bounce off a wall. She cracked her neck loudly and smiled crookedly at Lash. Her eyes were slanted upwards and her eyelids were dropped slightly, in the corners of her eyes was blackness that dared to spill out into the rest of her colorful eye. Lash clearly saw this and gasped, he thought he was losing his mind out of nowhere. Cherry stopped smiling and slowly turned to her right to see Trash standing back up with her claws unsheathed

“Oh, what is it, kitty?” Cherry rolled her eyes. “You want to watch him di- ** _AH!_** ” Trash jumped forward and with expert precision and strength, she put all of her weight into a swipe that cleared through Cherrys neck. Since Trash had small claws, Shade made sure she dug her toe tips in there too in order to create a bigger wound. Blood splattered against the front of the dumpster like windy rain and Cherry starred in mind blowing awe at what Trash had done. The cut was so deep Trash could see clearly inside her neck and the gore that began to bubble and spill out of the gash. Cherry moved her mouth to speak but couldn't say anything, with her throat shredded so intensely she couldn't say a word.

Grim shoved Wire off of him and scrambled to his feet. His own blood trickled on the concrete but not to the amount that pooled from Cherrys throat. Her jugular was split and her entire body was beginning to shut down. She couldn't even try to throw up the blood that rose in her throat, it just fell from her mouth and throat like water. Every cat in the alleys jaw hung open- everyone except for Trash who stood confidently with a stiff smile on her face. Cherrys shoulders and up became heavy and unbalanced, her head tumbled down first and the rest of her body was quick to follow. From the thick amount of scarlet that coated the floor under her, her heavy mass made some blood flick up when she thumped down.

“ _No!_ ” Wire whined and rushed to his slain daughters neck. He touched the ripped fur and looked to his fellow cats for help. Trying to avoid her husbands gaze, Spunky instinctively went to shelter Dark under her. She hid the smaller tom under her body and turned her back to the gruesome scene. Grim had a hard time believing what he had just witnessed, he ignored the injuries to his neck and spoke clearly.

“Trash, _what have you done?_ ” Grim asked. His tone wasn't angry or demanding, he sounded relieved and confused. Shade had her fun, she left Trashs body in a second and left the vessel with nothing. Shade didn't warn Trash before she left so Trash didn't have enough time to regroup herself. With no one in control of her body, Trash fell to the floor and Grim rushed to catch her.

Grim stabled her side with his shoulder and made sure she was okay. “Trash, you did it.” he whispered and licked her upper cheek. Trash tiredly groaned. She felt so drained as her body tried to recover from the rough possession.

_“Are you okay?”_

_No. I'm not okay_. Trash thought. _I'll never be ‘okay’ again_. Grim kept licking her face to calm her down. Trash still needed the support so Grim didn't move, he stayed right by her side and nudged her again. _Grim asked what I did but the real question is: what have you done to me?_

_“I did what you asked me to. I had to kill Cherry, it was the only way! Thank or argue with me later.”_

“The fight is over, Cherry is dead. Trash and Grim are the winners.” Lash announced which immediately sprung the group into a mob of controversy.

“To hell with that! Let's all band together and kill both of them!” Spark yelled and as usual, his partner jumped in to cause commotion with him.

“They won’t stand a chance against all of us!” Sunset hissed and looked to her friends all around her for support. Bronze stood up with her and flashed his fake claws proudly.

But Lash didn't encourage this, he hated it. He saw something in Trashs eyes that he couldn't explain and to make it worse, he was the only one who saw it. Did no one else see the darkness she possessed? That wasn't like her, Trash could _not_ fight that well or deal a deathly blow like that. Yet she did it, she proved all the adult cats wrong and won her and Grims freedom. Despite his harsh thoughts, Lash kept speaking.

“Quiet, quiet! That was the arrangement we agreed to! They won fair and square, this city is theirs!” Lash yelled. Rasha hissed at his orders and motioned to Cherrys corpse.

“Bullshit! You're just a coward who will give in to _children!_ ” Rasha snapped. Lash couldn't defend himself, if he brought up what he had seen in Trash, the alley cats would have lost all respect in him. But rethinking it, how much respect did he have from these cats to begin with?

“I'm a man of my word and I am this groups leader. If I say Trash and Grim own the city, then they do.” Lash narrowed his eyes to Rasha and raised his voice. Even with a louder tone everyone could tell he was afraid. They looked up to him with so much hope, he had brought them up from nothing and they expected him to keep that up. Lash felt hopeless but he pushed on. “Trash, do you have anything to say?” he mewed politely and looked at the young girl.

 _“Get up there, show them the new leader! Introduce these cats to the face of all things great!”_  
  
Trash had to make this good, blood was on her paws now so she had to carry the weight of that with her as she walked. Did she need to be serious? Sassy? Rude? To the point? With numerous leader-like figures in her life, she needed one to follow as a role model and she hated all of her choices but one.

_“Raise hell.”_

The choice was obvious, she was to take after Shade and learn from her. That was in their deal so Trash felt entitled to stay true to Shades mature and playful ways. She didn't feel tired anymore, she was so hyped up with the thrill of a fight that she chipperly sprung up on the dumpster and eyed down Lash and Rasha. “Get down.” She lightly demanded. Lash immediately listened, he jumped down quickly like a scared kit while Rasha wanted to stand his ground for just a minute longer.

“Rasha.” Lash said.

“I know.” Rasha said gently, not wanting to push more of a fight. The tabby leapt down and left Trash to stand alone.

Grim didn’t dare to get up next to her, he was shaken up as well by Cherrys death and wondered how Trash was doing. To answer that question, Trash was terrified. She wanted to cry, run away and hide for the rest of her days she was so full of shame for what she had allowed Shade to do. Although Cherrys death was justifiable, it was her or Grim but Trash despised the blood that stuck to her paws. Was Flare watching her? What would she think of the crimson that splashed against the concrete from her daughters blow? Trash took in a deep breath then exhaled with her eyes closed. She had a new calling in life that she had to adhere to.

“Uhm..” Bad start, Trash knew she was the center of attention and she didn’t know how to feel about it. No one had ever paid attention to her before so it was a strange feeling. “Uh.. to start… I want to uhm-” She didn’t know where to begin. Her head was in a million places but with her. “Everyone must leave the alley and go anywhere but here. This alley- _this city_ , belongs to Grim and I. You can go to the woods, the neighborhood, just get away from us.” The longer she stood up there the more she got used to it. Yeah, she was beginning to like this.

_“Be aggressive.”_

Shade critiqued suddenly which threw Trash off track. “Take Cherry with you, I don’t want to have to deal with her. Grim, get up here.” Grim obeyed her request and jumped up on the dumpster beside her. He sat down courtly and eyed the crowd of angry faces and bared teeth. “Anyone got anything to say before I kick you all out?” Trash continued and sat down as well.

“I do.” Wire spoke up. “You are not fit to lead anyone. This goes for you too.” He directed his attention to Grim then looked through the crowd to find a certain pink cat. “This is your fault!” he yelled. In alarm, the alley cats all backed aside and scooted over to give Wire a direct path to Spunky and Dark. Spunkys shoulders spiked and she shooed Dark away to the sidewalk. He looked back to her but she motioned him to keep walking.

“Mine?” Spunky whispered in shock as Wire came clambering over to her.

“Who else would I be talking to? That was our daughter! You have no reaction to her being murdered? You didn't even try to help her!” Wire spit and snapped like a rabid dog. Spunky backed up and Trash felt the urge to jump down and help. Spunky was on her side and she wanted to keep her safe, but if she helped someone who didn't directly state their side then she felt like she'd be talked down about as a new leader.

“Cherry was dead the second her blood hit the dumpster, there was no saving her! No one can heal a wound like that.” Spunky mewed softly. Wire didn't seem to get it, he was grief ridden for sure but it made Trash uneasy. He always acted this way towards Spunky.

“I thought you knew stuff about cleaning wounds and stopping blood, why didn't you stop her death?!” Wire screamed in her face, causing her to back down so low she was almost laying down. The alley cats watched quietly, they were so used to him acting his way that they didn't bother to interfere.

Dirt noticed that Dark was poking his head into the alley, his blue eyes were as wide as moons and his short legs were trembling. Dirt turned to his brother and saw a sadistic smile on his face. Was he enjoying the ‘entertainment’ that Wire put on daily? Why wasn't he crying or running away? Dirt had never felt further away from his littermate.

“I can heal simple cuts by putting shredded cloth and water on them, I cannot fix a broken vein or a shredded neck. I'm sorry.” Oh the things that Spunky wanted to say but couldn't, she had a list of retorts going in her head but they were locked away. Every time Wire drew near she felt she only had a small plate of pathetic replies that included minor excuses and apologies. Cherry had this coming, she volunteered and was rude to Trash. Spunkys eyes drifted behind Wire and saw that Lime was sobbing into her dead friends fur. Was Cherry really that loved? Spunky had a hard time believing it.

“Hey, I'm not done talking to you!” Wire raised his paw as if he was going to strike but didn't, it got Spunkys attention back to him, though.

“Sorry.”

“Should we tell him to knock it off? He's making me uncomfortable and is wasting my time.” Grim whispered in Trashs ear. She shook her head and pointed her nose to the black cat who was in a hunting position.

“Watch.” She spoke and sat back. Grim blinked and realized what he was doing.

“He's going to die.” Grim casually said with very little expression.

“No, he's going to be a hero.” Trash smiled slightly. Would he really do it? Dark was her age and she learned her lesson to not mess with Wire pretty quickly. Dark crawled in the alley but kept his flank against the wall. He made eye contact with Dirt and acknowledged him with a nod. Dirt nodded back and bit his inner lip in suspense.

“It's not worth it.” Grim rolled his eyes. Wire kept yelling at Spunky and Spunky kept apologizing to the point where she started crying. Wire had her sobbing on the floor, every tear that slid down her face felt like a bullet to Darks heart.. he had to do something about this.

“To you it's not, but to Spunky, I think Darks about to change her life.” Trash said confidently.

Spunky was taller than Wire but from how he was yelling at her, she had never felt smaller in her life. “Cherry is dead because of you! You focus too much on that shorthair, you love him more than you love your own family! You killed our daughter!” Wire kept screeching and Spunky felt her ears begin to ring.

Spunky couldn't take it anymore, she wiped her tears and stood up. This time, she was the bigger person in the argument. “What good is family if they don't love and support you, hm? Blood doesn't matter, the only blood that does matter is Cherrys and it's spilled in the alley because of how you've raised her! I had no say in my own daughters childhood and early adult life, she looked up to her father and look where she ended up. You'll be in her spot too, one of these days.” she spat suddenly. Gasps were heard in the alley and Wires eye twitched.

“Oh shit.” Grim snickered and moved his red paw up to cover his mouth from laughing. “Look at how surprised he is! The jackass had it coming!” Wire calmly inhaled and Spunky believed she actually got through to him. Dark loosened up and figured that things would be okay. Wire whipped his arm back to strike Spunky and Dark flung himself at his big paw with a scream. He dragged his arm with his jump and forced Wire to the floor to give Spunky time to yelp and scamper over to the opposite ends wall. Wire roared like a bear and stood up with intentions to take out his hate for Dark on Spunky, but Dark stood in between them like a statue.

“You will _not_ touch her anymore!” Dark hissed clearly. His small body didn't pose much a threat to Wire, but his size didn't stop him from putting the mangy Persian in his place. His words wanted to block in his throat, to stop in his mind but he pushed through and spoke fluently. “All my life I've been watching you act horribly to _my mother_. She saved me from drowning in a sewer when you told her to leave me! Don't care- you, you don't care for her at all, you only cared about your spitting image daughter!” Dark released his anger in the form of words, he kept his claws sheathed and Wire rolled his paw around in the air to soothe it. Dirt carefully watched his movements, if he was going to hurt Dark than Dirt would be the first up to block his attack. Spunky was smiling with tears still running down her delicate pink face, it made Dirt glad that Dark had the courage no one else had to defend the kind she cat after months of torment.

“Wow, Spunky. So you need this scrap to defend you? He can speak up all he wants, we're all going to the same place and you'll never be able to leave me!” Wire growled. Dark shamefully waved his tail on the floor and lowered his head.

  
Between Dust changing at a rapid pace and Wire ruining everyone's life, Dirt had enough. He couldn't stay apart of this wreck any longer, he had to do something. Dirt stood up and Dust looked at him in confusion.

“Dirt? Where are you going?” He said cautiously and tried to reach out to touch his leg. Dirt pulled his leg away from him and didn't turn back. He stood in the center of the alley and to his brothers dismay, left him to sit alone.

“I'm not going to sit around any longer and watch this happen! Lash, I'm done with you and your antics. That goes for everyone who follows him! I will not be following you any more. Whoever is sick of this as well, you are more than welcome to join me! Well start anew, just like Trash and Grim have done!” Dirt yelled, his shy and introverted personality seeming to disappear. The alley was quiet for a moment and he felt out of place. When no one stepped up, he explained more. “I want to live in peace, I don’t wish to be apart of this growing feud. And if you're smart, you'll join me too! Trash, with all due respect, will you allow me to do this?” he angled his small ears and wagged his bobbed tail. He looked hopeful and positive, his emaciated body made him look frail but Trash had learned to see past physical traits. If Dark could stand up to Wire, she believed Dirt had a chance to make it as a leader.

“I fully support you. Please, stay after with your new group and I'd be honored to discuss your neutral grounds.” Trash courteously mewed and was instantly praised by Shade.

_“Woah! How mature and leader like, I love this new Trash! You're doing great, kid, let's see who joins him.”_

Dark turned and walked back to Spunky, they had a short heart to heart and finished by standing next to Dirt. “We’re with you.” Spunky purred. Dirt smiled and greeted them both with a nuzzle to their cheeks.

Dust stood up and pranced over to his brother. “I'm coming with you.” He announced and waited for Dirt to graciously touch his cheek as well.

Dirt knew he would try to come just to stay beside him. He couldn't contain himself whenever Dust expected he could easily join the neutrality group after his past actions. “No.”

“What?” Dust flinched.

“You're not coming with us.” Dirt hissed.

“Wh- why not? I thought we were meant to stay by each others sides?” Dust questioned. “You know what mother always said-”

“Of course I know what she said.” Dirt huffed. “She gave me the responsibility as the older brother to take care of you, but I'm done with it! You're becoming a young adult and I'm so tired of having to take care of you like you're a kit. Whenever I was a child _I_ had to learn how to hunt for _you_ since you had the privilege of staying in your nest all day.” Dirt growled and his stomach rumbled.

Dust caught sight of his brothers ribs and his thin fur. He kept forgetting the sacrifices he had made for him. Dirt always put Dust before him but times were changing, Dirt needed to take care of himself. “You're my brother, we can't be separated…” Dust held back tears, was this real? Was he losing his brother?

Grim yawned. “This is so exhausting. Why don't you speak again? That seems to shut them all up.” Grim made a gagging noise to prove his disgust. “This is painful to watch. Boo- hoo, get on with it, he's such a crybaby.” Trash sat still as a statue, this wasn't her argument and she wouldn't ever know the two toms history.

“Yeah, Dust, you'd rather be with us and we all know it.” Rasha strolled up to him and dragged his tail under his chin.

“He's right. You belong with them.” Dirt mewed. Dust belonged with a group of killers? Is that what Dirts saying? His heart sunk and he sniffed to resist crying. Dirt looked at Dusts paws, knowing what he had done to Grim “You'd be happier with them.”

 _But I'd be at my best wherever you are!_ Dust wanted to say but he knew he'd make this situation worse, if it could possibly get worse. “You're right.” he admitted.

“Am I?” Dirt casually asked.

“No.” Dust started to bawl against Rasha's shoulder. Judging by the way he fell to the tom first to cry on, Dirt had a sneaking suspicion he was right about his brother. Rasha purred to calm down the striped cat. He stuck his tongue out to Dirt.

“You made him cry!” Rasha sarcastically exclaimed.

“This is getting out of hand.” Trash grumbled to Grim. “ _Alright!_ ” She yelled to cut off the sob fest. “Dirt, Dark and Spunky please sit back. Everyone else, get out of the city! You all are never welcome back.” Wire was the first to leave, he stormed out of the alley with a fire in his eyes and anger in his veins. He didn't even help them take Cherry, he left that to Mist and Lash. Sunset, Spark and Bronze left next and Trash felt so relieved that the center of gossip was out of her life. Mist and Lash had to pull Lime away from her passed friend. She was a crying mess and Trash sickly felt like she deserved it. Her parents were taking too long to remove the corpse and Trash was getting tired of looking at it. “Hurry it up, will you?” she rolled her eyes and Grim laughed again.

Lash immediately picked up the pace. He got Cherrys head on his shoulders in a second and waited for Mist to get her other half on her back. Lime continued to cry while she watched her family leave. They exited the alley with the rest of the lot and she ran past Rasha to catch up with them. Rasha was the last one in the alley once Dust ran away without looking back. He glared at the blood on the floor and dumpster in complete baffled awe at what a child had one. The trio of peaceful cats all stared at him and Rasha, for once in his life, had nothing to say.

He appeared anxious but stood up and spoke in his usual way. “We will rebel against you. Watch your city carefully or we’ll come back and steal it from under your greedy little paws.” he paused to allow Trash to grow fearful of his words. Grim noticed her unease so he stood up in defense. “Flare would be so disappointed-- if she was still alive. Ciao.” Rasha trotted out of the alley and vanished in the direction of the forest with his group.

Trashs heart started to race and for a second she thought Shade was possessing her again it hurt so badly. Did Rasha seriously just out her mother's death like that? Judging by the confused look Grim had on his face, Trash expected she’d need to explain who Flare is to Grim later. She definitely wasn't looking forward to that. Her eyes were wide and she wanted to cry but she realized Dirt, Spunky and Dark were still waiting for her. Grim licked her cheek again and Trash cleared her throat. The three cats off to the side all moved to sit patiently in front of the dumpster and awaited her powerful words.

“You three will be The Outcasts.” Trash started out by saying. She felt proud of that name since she thought of it herself in such a short amount of time. “You will live in the woods where the… others don’t. And- and! You need to bring us some sort of food once a month. One piece of prey per person. Consider it rent to keep peace with you guys.” Trash said her terms and Dirt looked to his friends on both sides of him to see how they felt about it. They gave him nothing but smiles and nods to reassure him. He didn't know how he felt about the whole rent thing but he could deal with it. One piece per month per each Outcast sounded doable to him. It was such an easy request that he figured was more of an offering than anything and he was alright with that if it meant he could stay out of the general feud.

“The Outcasts work. I like it. Seems distant enough from them and.. what are you and Grim apart of? Since everyone seems to have a side in this.” Dirt mewed. Trash blinked and looked to Grim for a response or help. Trash recalled that during her and Shades nightly meetings she would frequently mention her old group called ‘Shattered Remains’. To pay homage to that and the broken city they lived in, Trash answered confidently.

“Our group is Broken Remains.” She proudly announced and raised her head. Grim nearly jumped up like a kit whenever she said it. _Broken Remains_ , he repeated numerous times in his head. _We are the broken remains of the cats we once were._

“Broken Remains… I hope we can keep a good partnership up with you, Trash.” Dirt grinned to her then stood up with his two group mates. “Let's go find home.” The three Outcasts gave respects to Trash and Grim by dipping their heads individually to them. They began to walk out of the alley, whenever they were almost out Trash cheerfully yelled to them.

“Best of luck!” She happily mewed to her new allies.

“You too!” Dirt responded.

The Outcasts left the city and went to the right half of the woods, where the old house was. Lashs cats, _The Rebels_ , took the left which was loosely explored. They chose the name ‘The Rebels’ upon hearing Rasha's parting words and decided it would best fit their group.

The Rebels, The Outcasts and Broken Remains. Three different groups with three drastically different motivations and personalities. It was an interesting concept for sure and Trash was excited to kick off her and Grims new life. They sat alone in the alley on top of the dumpster, or the top of the world from their viewpoint. Trash could get used to sitting up here to address and command others, no wonder Rasha wanted the spot so badly. She looked down to see blood coating the ground but held high hopes that rain would eventually wash it away. It was still early in the morning so the sun continued to shine to cheerfully welcome the three new leaders to a new world. Despite the bright light, Trash felt horrible. Scarlet was still on her paws and she felt the need to sleep off her sorrow. But she was too excited now, so many possibilities had just opened up to her and she wanted to dive right in.

Then it hit her. She was free. The Rebels were her enemies now and The Outcasts were her allies. She had someone on her side and life was looking up. She started to laugh and Grim happily laughed with her.

“Don't you get it, Grim?” she kept laughing until tears formed in her eyes. She tipped her head back and yelled in victory til her throat burned.

_“We are the new revolution!”_

 


	15. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Broken ties, broken relationships, broken pasts. But what will be the Broken Remains?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while to get out! Hehehehehehehehehe..... this chapters fun B)
> 
> \---
> 
> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

 

Trash lowered her head but couldn't stop laughing. She didn't know how to express herself in any other way, she was overwhelmed with so many emotions and she couldn't show all of them. She chose to laugh and cry simultaneously until she couldn't anymore. Trash wheezed and coughed. She looked over the empty alley then to Grim and perked her ears. “This place is ours, where do we begin?! We can run the streets in more than a figurative sense!” she excitedly said

Grim sighed. “First off, you're going to tell me who Flare is. Then you're going to explain how the hell you did  _ that!” _  the two of them looked down to the blood and Trash started blankly at it. She couldn't tell him about Shade, not yet at least. She decided to change the subject.

“Why ask? Just be happy it's done.”  Trash tipped her head and Grim shook his.

“I didn't teach you that, I specifically taught you defensive moves!” Grim snarled which made Trashs fur stand on end.

“You did tell me to kill Cherry, you're giving me mixed feelings…” Trash trailed off. 

“Yeah, because I was being choked to death and didn't know what else to do! I didn't expect you to actually do it or know how!” Grim snapped and Trash became very aware of the messy, blood clotted fur on the front of his neck. 

“I did what I had to, consider it an instinct.” 

“No cat can kill like that on ‘instinct’.” he retorted.

Trash was verbally getting backed into a corner, she didn't want to but if he knew her mother had died because of them then he'd  _ have _ to stop pressing questions. “Flare was my mother. Rasha killed her when I was only a kit. I helplessly watched.” Trash quickly answered his first question. Grim stared at her like she wasn't there. He gently moved his tail around and flicked an ear.

“And your father?” 

“I never knew him. Mother never talked about him.”

“Where do you think he is? Dead?” Grim questioned. What was he trying to get from her?! Trash was getting frustrated, her lifelong absent father had nothing to do with either of his questions. 

“I don't feel comfortable with answering that.” Trash sat down and curled her flowy, patterned tail around her paws. 

Grim awkwardly blinked and Trash grew uneasy. “Dead parents club.” he flatly said with a growing smile. Trash jumped up and recoiled from his words.

_ “What?!”  _ she gasped. “I never said he was dead! Where did you get that!?” The startled she cat said in absolute awe. 

“Lucky guess. Three cheers to being orphans.” Grim laughed. 

“How can you joke about this!?” Trash whimpered. She missed Flare so much and heard nothing about her father throughout all her life, what is wrong with him?! He wasn't sensitive at all to parental topics yet he freaked out over Cherry, what a guy.

“Because parents don't mean anything, they take care of you til they get bored then they move on to find the thrill in something else. My family gave away my litter mates and kept me. In fact, they did it so soon I don't even think any of them made it without my mother's milk and care.” Grim sat down in front of her and kept talking. The ridges and curves on the top of the dumpster felt odd but inviting to the two cats who sat on top of it.

“But that wasn't your mother or father's choice, that was the households. My family is different than yours.” Trash lowered her head in condolence.

“Enh. It happened to me and that has to be one of the harshest examples of human cruelty I can give you.” Grim inhaled and waited for Trash to argue again but she remained silent. “Anyway, you're right. What's first?” 

“Now you've made me sad and guilty.” Trash mewed. “I want to sleep.” 

Grim looked behind him to the busted up air duct. “Back there?” 

“God no. Right here.” Trash dropped her weight and fell onto the lid harshly. Grim jumped up and stared at her dramatic fall. “I'm so tired.” Trash sniffed and noticed her nose had stopped bleeding, her nostril and the fur under it felt dry and gross. Grim laid down in front of her with much more grace than she did. He tucked his legs under him, put his chin on the warm lid and closed his eyes. 

The lid always felt warm, with the sun high in the sky it's warm beams hit the dumpster and heated it up to a comfortable temperature. Trash couldn't help but purr in delight at the warmness she laid on. She dozed off like a kit and fell asleep feeling safe.

 

xXx

 

Trash stretched and slowly let herself wake up on the plush cushioning of the church pew. Shade wasn't by her this time, she poked her head up and looked over the rows of benches to try and spot the massive cat. Through the stained glass windows, golden and slightly colorful beams were passed down into the church. Trash rubbed her eyes and got used to the, more colorful than usual, lights. 

She steadily jumped down and checked behind the podium. No shade. She trotted over to the open door frame on the right of the church to poke her head in. It was a small, dark and circular shaped room that had a winding wooden staircase upwards. There was a door to the right so she stared curiously at it. Trash wondered if it'd be alright for her to check it out but a spark of blue fire cracked from the floor in front of her and Shade appeared to block her path.

_ “You're not allowed in there.” _

Shade forced Trash to back up with her heavy form and lead her out of the tower like room. Trash looked around her to get one last look. “What's through the door?” she mewed. 

_ “Nothing you need to worry about, it's just the bell ringing room. Very dangerous stuff that could hurt a little kitten like you, you hear me?”  _

Instead of arguing Trash huffed. “Yes, ma’am.” she redundantly mewed.

_ “If you're so set on exploring the grounds of the church, if you’d like I can show you the bell?”  _

“Isn't the bell itself more dangerous than the ringing room?” Trash questioned. 

_ “Not unless you have bad balance.” _

“I think I'll be fine. It sounds relaxing, minus the falling dozens of feet.” Trash smiled. 

_ “Let's go then, walk in front of me and stay towards the wall.”  _

Trash padded around Shade and took her first few steps up the wooden stairs. The old stairs creaked and felt like they would snap under her paws but she had to ignore the tingle it left on her pads. They spiraled up the tower and lead up to the bell and surrounding area. The stairs were dark oak colored, they had spots of discoloration to show their age, some planks even had chunks missing. They were big steps which was alarming to Trash, she had to plan out her jump and test the wood first. Would Shade save her if she fell? She surely hoped so. While they walked, Trash asked about the events of earlier.

“So, with that possession,” Trash stopped and turned her head around to look at Shade walking behind her. 

_ “Mhm?” _

“Will it always hurt that badly? Assuming you do it more in the future. Because if you do it again I want to be ready, I still feel the energy in my body.” Trash shyly asked and wondered if it was a dumb question.

_ “No, it'll ease up overtime. You'll feel less pain the more it happens. You say you still feel it, that means you've already started to get used to another being in control.” _

“That's relieving.” Trash mewed and picked up the pace. “This is such a workout.” she laughed.

_ “Good. You're about as scrawny as a fish!” _

Shade joked back to her. Trash shook her head and giggled the two of them into silence. “We’re here!” she jumped up the last step onto the wood floor at the top of the church. Trash was quick to investigate and process the area, it was a square shaped area with wood flooring and brick walls. On the four walls were openings in the bricks to form makeshift window frames that could overlook the surrounding area. In the middle of the room there were floorboards purposefully missing in a square shape with a guard fence around it so no one would fall through. Of course, this was meant for human use so to a cat it stood no use. Trash curiously poked her head under the fence and looked down. The sight of the spiral staircase winding down made her head spin, she backed up from the railing and glanced at Shade. “Thats.. a long fall…” She mumbled. 

_ “It absolutely is. That's nothing compared to your measly two story fall. Stay away from the edge.” _

“Don't have to tell me twice.” Trash muttered and looked at the gray brick walls. “Wait, this place actually exists? I thought it was a figment of my imagination that you lived in.”

_ “Of course it exists! It's closer than you think, too. See for yourself.” _

Shade noticed a pile of discarded wooden boxes in a corner and pushed one to the right in front of a window. Trash jumped up on it and placed her front paws on the bricks to stare outside in awe. “Is that really the city?!” She exclaimed joyfully. 

_ “Yep. It's proper name is Grinstead City. Though nowadays I see that you guys refer to as The Broken City for obvious reasons.” _

Shade, with her massive size, was able to stand on her hind legs and put her front paws on the brick with ease. She looked at Trash who's face of wonder was priceless. 

_ “That quake really gave it a beating, huh? It looks like a war zone. It used to be so populated and full of life, so many people used to live there that it earned the nickname “King City.”   _

Shade commented which made Trash smile wider. “So Grinstead is mine?” she looked at the endless rooftops under the lovely night sky with glee.

_ “Yes and no. You're not alone, many other city cats outnumber you and Grim. Find the others, convince them to join you and then you'll be the true ruler.”  _

“Is that what you did?” Trash asked then backed up off the box to drag it to another window. Shade followed her and looked out the window as well. This one overlooked the forest, hill and even the destroyed neighborhood Trash and Flare came from. Everything was so close from up here but from below, the world never seemed bigger. 

_ “You can put it that way. But we're different, I know you look up to me but you must have your own style.” _

“What do you mean?” Trash admired the birds that were settling in the wilting green trees. Fall was coming and Trash was excited to see the wonderful colors she was about to be greeted with. 

_ “You're a kind, young soul. I'm a ruthless and old shit. You're compassionate and I'm not.”  _

Shade slumped down on the window and looked beyond the small neighborhood at the extensive forest that went on for miles. 

_ “You'll see our differences when you're older.” _

Trash replicated Shades posture and let a low grumble escape her throat. “When I'm older.” she whispered to herself and exhaled. “Everyone's so obsessed with growing up around here, what gives? I'm fine just the way I am and you are too.” Shade blinked and looked at her in shock. That was quite the statement from such a young cat. 

_ “I'm touched... We’ll work with you preserving your childlike innocence for as long as we can. No promises though, my dear.” _

“That's more than enough.” Trash nodded her head then motioned to the land in front of them. “So tell me about these woods. Do you know where The Outcasts and Lash’s group live?”

_ “The Outcasts are on the farthest point of the forest. They are on the right side of the stream line while Lash is on the left. Are you aware that they named themselves The Rebels? I would say you have your first enemy but you've been fighting your own battles all your life.” _

“The Rebels? That's to the point. If they want to rebel against me, then why wouldn't they do it immediately?” Trash tilted her small head.

_ “They're afraid of you, mostly Lash. You've got him running circles in his head trying to figure out how you killed Cherry. He saw the darkness in your eyes, he knows. No one else can know about our deal, do you hear me?”  _

“Yes ma’am.” Trash replied. “Not even Grim?” she added on.

_ “Do you trust him?” _

“With my life.” Trash immediately responded. 

_ “Do what you think is best then.” _

Shade smiled warmly to her and earned an excited look back from the calico. With the moon shining through the windows and on her pelt, Trash felt t suddenly choked up with emotions at the mention of the toms name. “I love him, Shade. I truly do.” she confessed. 

_ “Do you now? Care to tell me why? You haven't known him for long and you just asked me if you could spill our big secret to him.” _

“He gave me a chance. He took his time with me and I've never known someone friendlier in my life.” Trash sniffed. “He means so much to me.” 

_ “You believe in love at first sight then?” _

“I do. It's a magical thing, isn't it?” Trash pounced down and shoved her box to the other window. Shades ears involuntarily flicked which made her look around in alarm. There was a loud  _ thump _ somewhere in the area and she couldn't figure out if it was Trashs box or something else. She looked down at the little stepping box and crossed that off her mental list. The box wasn't that loud. This was something else. Possibly an off balance building falling in the distance? It had to be. She concluded it was nothing important and went back to talking with the younger.

_ “You're quite the dreamer _ ,  _ Trash _ .  _ Your affection is one of a kind so take your time deciding on who deserves it. Love at first sight is a dangerous thing.”  _

Shade warned her gently and followed her to the window. “I like to take my chances.” Trash giggled and Shade rolled her eye. She'd learn one of these days. “Those are the mountains?!” Trash gawked and leaned out the window as far as she could without jumping up.

_ “Quite a sight, hm?”  _

Shade took note of the twinkle in her students eyes with a smile. Her excitement and willingness to learn reminded her of SwiftSong. The mountains were so high up they were covered in a thick blanket of snow which trickled down the mountains steadily. Up there it was like an entirely other world compared to the forest below it, the harsh climate change from here to there was fascinating to say the least. The mountain had two main peaks with a rope and wood bridge connecting their main ledges to easily cross between the two. How it was there? The two felines had no idea. Trash jumped up on the window to sit down and get a better view. As she jumped, Shade felt her heart skip a beat in concern. The bricks were thick enough that Trash would be absolutely fine with her perfect balance but Shade had still gotten fearstruck.

_ “Please be careful up there!" _

Shade hurriedly mewed. Trash curled her thin tail around her paws and leaned against the brick carelessly. “Grim wasn't kidding, it's so beautiful. The water looks purple with stars dancing off of it, it feels like a dream. Are you sure this is my world?” Trash turned back to Shade who looked very frazzled. Shade swore she heard more creaking, this time she couldn't ignore it.

_ “Yes, all of it is. Now get down.” _

The Queen hurriedly said. Shade wanted to keep talking with Trash but her senses were getting to her. Something was going on downstairs and she had to see what it was. This was her land, her cursed and humble home. Who the hell just walked on in?! 

_ “Trash, get down now. I need to wake you up. It's been a nice night but you need to get home-” _

“Are you sure she's here?” Came a female voice from downstairs. It echoed up the cylinder shaped bell tower and rung around the room. Trash stiffened up and immediately jumped down from her perch.

“Where else would she be? She's confined here til her spirit dies.” Another voice, clearly distinctive from the first. This one was harsher and stronger than the first but still carried a feminine tone with it. Shade walked over to the stairs and poked her head between the railing poles to look straight down. Trash was quick to follow her mentor, she leaned over as well with her head between the rails like Shades. Once Shade realized who they were she grabbed Trash by her collar and hauled her backwards out of sight. 

“What's going on?!” Trash whispered but Shade covered her mouth with one of her big paws. 

_ “Be quiet.” _

Shade warned and pulled her paw back. Shade looked around for her options and none of them looked good. All she could come up with was face the duo head on or fall from this height to avoid the confrontation. Was it bad that Shade considered the fall? It would be quick, easy and would solve a lot of her problems. She shook her head. What was she doing? Was she really afraid of them? Hell no, they had to be afraid of  _ her _ and she needed to enforce that. She just wished Trash wasn't here to witness it but maybe it could act as a lesson to the child. Now she was on the right track. Trash flattened her ears and looked worriedly up at Shade. 

“Can't you wake me up now? I'm ready to go back, you're freaking me out!” Trash whined and sunk down low. Shade could absolutely kick her back to reality now but if she was correct about who was here, she had a feeling Trash would want to stay. The creaking continued and Shade knew she couldn't let them trap her up here. She had no choice but to walk down. 

_ “Stay behind me.” _

Shade stuck close to the wall and walked quickly down the spiral staircase with Trash hiding behind her tail. Trashs collar bounced with her as she walked and her tail bobbed anxiously in the air. 

“You know I don't believe in this stuff.” The softer voice said. Shade angled her shredded ears forward and picked up the pace. She got a little too excited and took a heavy step down, the second her paw touched the stair the wood splintered and shattered under her. She yelped and Trash pulled her back, the two cats looked down to watch the plank fall and crash onto the concrete floor. Dust was swept up from where it fell and Shade realized the duo at the bottom of the stairs had stopped moving. With the step completely gone, Shade jumped over the gap swiftly. The hole wasn't that big but from the height they were at, the gap only amplified the danger of falling. 

_ “You can jump the stairs at the alley, this is no difference! It's actually easier, jump over and follow me down.” _

“Shade, there is a big difference!” Trash snapped and swayed her tail. “In the alley I can't die from that, here I could shatter every bone in my body!” Trash snarled. 

_ “Shut up and jump!” _

Shade demanded which made Trashs colorful eyes go wide. She jumped over the hole and landed on a step that shook under her paws. She dug her small claws into the wood and clung to it. “I hate heights now, it's official.” she rumbled and looked down the tower. Shade waved her bushy tail in Trashs face then kept walking. They were about half way down the stairs now and the cats at the bottom of the steps had come into full view. Shade made sure Trash stayed behind her to remain hidden, she didn't want them to know anyone else was here with her.

_ “So glad you two could join me in this prison!” _

Shade said in her usual sarcastic and peppy voice. The two she cats stared at her with narrowed eyes. One had red fur while the other was tan. They shared similar physical qualities but had enough differences to clearly distinctify them. The tall, tan cat with lovely violet eyes and a mature voice spoke up first. Her voice had a ring to it, it sounded like she was trying to suppress an accent.

“You haven't changed a bit.” She looked Shade over a few times. “You look in tact, I expected your spirit to be in a million pieces.” She commented with a smile and took a daring step closer to the giant cat. She reached up a brown paw to touch Shades red collar and admire the objects smashed in it.

The Somali behind her kept her distance but she leaned around her companion to peek behind Shade. There was another scent wafting in the area that she didn't recognize. Out of curiosity, she walked more to the side to see Trash cowering behind Shade. 

“Squeak!” She gasped and bolted around Shade without thinking. As if it was planned, the bold cat in front of Shade grabbed her collar and hauled her down the stairs to properly reveal the calico kit. Trash was flustered by the others quick embrace, her black head was being licked furiously by the cat who had wrapped her paws around her. “I've missed you so much! I didn't think this spiritual nonsense was real but I'm with you again!” she continued to aggressively lick Trashs fur. Trash recognized that soft, red pelt from anywhere and when reality hit her she bolted away as quickly as she could. 

“ _ Flare! _ ” She yelped and admired the pretty cat on the stairs. Upon being addressed, Flare tilted her head to the left and smiled. 

“It's been a while, hasn't it? Dawn found me after a little while and helped me get used to being a spirit! I don't like it and I refuse to partake in normal spiritual activities, though.” she rambled casually while Trash stared at her mother in absolute horror. She called her Squeak and.. still loved her? Did she really not know what she had done? 

Dawn smiled at Shade struggling to regain her balance after being dragged down the stairs by her collar. “How's it been? It took a lot of effort to get you here!” She snickered. Shade wrinkled her nose and flattened her ears. She thought she had heard the last of it with this cunning she cat. Shade hissed and unsheathed her claws.

_ “You're gonna wish that bullet killed you twice.”  _


	16. Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May light Dawn on your path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have no idea how long i've been looking forward to writing this chapter, enjoy!  
> I have a Darkened Paths MAP coming up soon, i'll keep everyone posted on Twitter since it'll be an exclusive map there! (@ShadowedCipher)
> 
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> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
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> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
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> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
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> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

“Hey, you should be  _ grateful  _ that I brought you here! My original plan was to leave you for the birds!” Dawn chuckled. Shade looked extremely unamused, her eye was narrowed and she wasn't in the mood to be bickering with her ex. 

_ “Why are you here.” _

Shade growled and Dawn looked offended. “Can't a girl come back to visit her old friend? I thought you'd appreciate my company!” She couldn't stop laughing at her own sarcasm. Shade didn't find it funny. Dawn huffed and rolled her gorgeous, purple eyes. “I figured that Flare would wanna see her kiddo. Since she doesn't watch over her herself, I took it into my own hands to reunite them. I've been checking on the little scrap every so often and what I've seen hasn't been pretty. I'm sure Trash would love to inform Flare herself, though.” she finished and looked at Trash.

Trash glanced up at Flare with a confused glare. “You don't look after me?” she babbled.

Flare shook her head. “I shouldn't have to and I refuse to. It's an invasion of your space and I personally don't believe in it.” Trash was even more confused with the logic of her dead mother being a physical entity right in front of her very eyes again.

“How do you refuse to believe in something you're living in?” Trash asked.

“Don't bother asking! You'll just waste your time, she won't give any kind of logical reason.” Dawn yelled to the calico. Shade stepped forward and Dawn backed up in response.

_ “Don't talk to her.”  _

The black cat snapped. Dawn gave Shade an irritated look. “Why can't I talk to my own granddaughter?” She spat. Trash reeled around to look at Dawn.  _ That’s my grandmother? What a beautiful cat!  _ She mentally complimented. Her mother, her grandmother and her mother figure were all in the room together. This would be a wonderful thing if only Shade and Dawn weren't at each other's throats. Trash remembered that when she first met Shade she had shared stories about her and Flares adventures. Maybe it was worth it to ask Flare about them? Trash got closer to Flare and spoke gently.

“Do you remember whenever Shade took you to the city for the first time?” Trash slowly began to walk up the stairs to get closer to Flare.

Flare furrowed her brows and Shades fur immediately stood on end. The snarky attitude drained from her face and her eye widened. Dawn noticed this a bit too quickly. “Has someone been lying?” she cooed and let her eyelids drop. 

_ “Me. You. Main church. Now.” _

Shade shoved her forehead against Dawns chest and started shoving her backwards through the doorway. Dawn planted her paws firmly on the ground and refused to move. “Oh no! I'd like to know what lies you've been feeding to her! Go on, Flare! Tell her  _ Shade is lying straight to her face!” _

Trash sat down and waited expectantly for Flares response. “I've only met Shade once and that was right after our house collapsed.” Flare confessed and directed her attention to Trash. “Shade lied to you.” 

Trash flinched and felt her heart lurch. “Shade wouldn't lie to me.” she defended. “She said you and her were great friends.” she desperately mewed and looked at the three other cats in the room. 

“Shades a fucking liar, Trash!” Dawn interrupted as Shade head butted her shoulder and forced her back into the church. Her feather earring moved around with Shades harsh pushes. “Don't be around her!” Dawn yelled before she was rushed around the door frame.

Trash looked around frantically. So much was happening and it left her reeling. Her dead mother was back, her apparent grandmother was here and Shade was just accused of lying to her. 

“Why are they calling you ‘Trash’? That's horrible!” Flare whined and motioned her child closer with her delicate paw. Right, she doesn't watch over her so she would have no idea what she's been up to these past months and Dawn didn’t explain it. Trash backed away from the other. She suddenly felt weird calling Flare ‘mother’.

“My name is Trash.” She confirmed hesitantly. Flare looked confused and let her paw down. 

“But why? You're Squeak and you're my little girl, now come here!” Flare pouted sadly. Trash shook her head and continued to back up. 

“No.” she said harshly and Flare stood up. “You promised me you'd be with me forever, you died and you had a chance to watch over me! You didn't take it!” Trash defended herself and raised her hackles. Despite her stance, her face still read nothing but fear and anxiety. Flare tried to explain and walk down to her but Trash turned and ran into the church after Shade and Dawn. 

She was greeted with hissing and arguing from the two she cats, they were up on the stage behind the podium with their pelts bristled. Shade rushed towards Dawn with an open mouth but Dawn ducked to her left. She felt a tugging on her ear and realized what Shade was aiming for. Shade hooked Dawns feather earring in her teeth and tore the entire thing messily out of her ear. The metal of the clasp ripped her thin ear and took a chunk of skin with it, Dawn yowled in pain then realized her ear was bent from the force. Instead of perking straight up, she couldn't feel or control her ear at all. An uneven amount of flesh was taken with the earring that lost feeling and balance in her ear. It flopped down pathetically and leaked blood down her golden cheek. Shade then spit the strange earring onto the carpet and smirked. 

_ “Finally got it out. I always hated that thing.” _

Shade remarked which only furthered Dawns anger towards her. Dawn shook her head and ran at her this time. Having no claws, she had to work with other forms of inflicting damage on her opponents. Shade braced herself to be tackled backwards but before they met, Dawn side jumped to the right and headbutted Shade in the jaw. With her off balance, Dawn positioned her paws in her thick fur to fully shove the large cat down. They tumbled down the wide stairs that let up to the stage and crashed against a pew. 

Dawn had the upper hand now, Shade was dazed and wheezing under her so she took the time to bask in the glory. “I forgot how much fun fighting was!” the tabby smiled and leaned down to bite at Shades neck but Shade smacked her in the throat with her right paw. Dawn flew off of Shade and skidded on the long, red rug in the middle of the church. The thick piece of fabric bunched up from the cat sliding on it and Dawn shook her head. Her neck fur was ragged and blood clumped but she knew she was fine, if Shade wanted to kill her then she would have to try harder than that. 

Trash crept against one of the walls of the church with Flare rushing behind her. She was trying to catch glimpses of the fight without being involved in it, she didn't dare to be caught in the middle of Shades outburst. Trash knew Shade had violent tendencies due to their late night conversations but she had never gone in detail with the true horror of what she's done. If Shade was to kill this woman, then would that make Trash and Shade the same level of “bad”?

Was she as horrible as Shade claimed herself to be?

Trash walked farther and ignored Flares helpless cries to her. She had to see what would come of this fight. Was it possible to kill Shade? She knew she wasn't normal but what exactly was she? Dawn looked to her right and saw her granddaughter peeking through the row of pews.

“Trash! Come closer, come look at what your  _ friend _ is capable of!” Dawn hissed to her which made her tiny ears perk up. Shade stalked closer to Dawn with her fluffy tail lashing behind her. 

_ “Keep your distance! This doesn't involve you!”  _

Shade instructed which only made the child more curious. Trash remained still just long enough for Flare to sweep her up by her collar. Trash was big enough now that all Flare could do was drag her around a bit but Trash could freely kick and squirm her way out. Flare used this opportunity to drag her child backwards in an feeble attempt to remove her from the room and back in the bell tower. 

“Itfs.. nmt sffe hnere!” Flare mumbled with a full mouth of Trashs collar. Trash could barely understand what she was saying so she spun in her grasp to break loose. “Squeak!” Flare whined pathetically.

Trash looked to her left and saw Shade lunge at Dawn. Dawn ducked and sprinted forward like a snake to dodge her claws then countered by jumping back and burrowing her teeth in Shades neck. The objects jammed in her collar scrapped against Dawns cheek but she could care less, biting her neck and hoping to get lucky was the declawed cats only chance. While her owner knew the risks and dangerous of removing every single one of her claws, he did it anyway and Dawn hated him for it. She got them removed because she caused Shades eye scars as an act of self defense. Now she truly needed to kill this devil once and for all and she couldn't do it. This wasn't like the first time where Shade was bleeding out, she was now able bodied and ready to sink her talons into anything that moved. Dawn just so happened to be the one to be the one in her path today. 

Dawn smashed Shades head into the floor and burrowed her short muzzle around the collar to nip and pull at the black fur. Shade hissed at the needle like pricks then threw the light cat off with ease. Dawn skidded on the rug but quickly regained her footing and leapt back. Shade lowered her head and growled through clenched teeth.

_ “You're wasting my time." _

Shade raised her right paw, swirled it around and formed blue fire that covered it like vines. She jerked her fire covered arm in Dawn's direction which transferred the flames to Dawns front paws. It covered and froze them still with ease, she looked around in confusion as she collided to the floor, unable to move the front half of her body. Flare gasped at Shades overpowering fire and backed up to the wall. Shade had done the same when they first met and Flare hated being reminded of it. Dawn was able to move her mouth around til it was free so she took this chance to yell at Trash. 

“Trash, how do you know her! She's a  _ demon! _ Why's a kit like you messing with a force this strong!?” Dawn yelled and attempted to thrash out of Shades hold. Shade saw her struggling and formed more of her cooling fire to force her entire body except her mouth to go still, she wanted to hear what she had to say. Trash furrowed her brows and shrunk down against the floor. A demon? Weren't demons supposed to be evil? 

_ “Tell her. Tell her how we met! Tell her about our deal!” _

Flare looked at Trash with a frown forming on her face. “You made a deal with a demon?” Trash swayed her tail tip on the ground and shuddered.

“I didn't know she was a demon.” She confessed softly. Flare stepped away from her child and shook her head.

“How could you have not known?” Flare whispered and flattened her ears. “If you knew, would you still have done it?” she asked.

“She saved my life.” Trash slowly started to shuffle to Shade and Flare was quick to notice it.

“She saved mine too and yet, you still try to go to her.” Flare lowered her gaze and shifted her paws. “Do you realize what you've gotten yourself into? You are a  _ child! _ You can't be making these choices on your own!” Flare snapped and took a few tough steps closer to the cowering kit. Shade turned her head to see Trash trying to get to her so she spoke up before Flare could continue scolding the calico.

_ “At what point does she stop being a child in your eyes? What will she have to do to change that title aside from age?” _

The question caught Flare off guard, she wasn't even sure of the answer to it herself so she let Shade continue.

_ “She's lived without help, caught her own meals, survived the alley and even killed another cat to gain power. The little girl you once knew is gone, Flare. Trash survived.” _

Flares fur spiked up and she looked at her kit in terror. “You killed someone?” she softly said, her voice barely audible. 

“I can explain.” Trash started gently, afraid to startle Flare more than she already had. She glanced at Shade in disappointment, she wasn't ready to tell her mother and Shade took that chance from her. Shade looked smart as ever when she dumped the heavy news on Flare. 

“What explanation can you give me? Do you think you can justify  _ murder?! _ I didn't raise you this way!” Flare hissed which made Trash narrow her eyes.

“You didn't raise me.” She bit back and lashed her tail with clear intensity in her body language. “Shades the one raising me!” She yelled which made Flare jump back with tears in her eyes.

“You're being raised by a monster. She's blinded you, she's manipulating you and taking advantage of your naive nature! Squeak, you need to get out of this!” Flare whined. “I don't want to give up on you.” she cried and sniffled.

_ “She's mine, forever. There's nothing to break a demonic deal!”  _

Shade chimed in then directed her attention to the she cat at her paws. She had a dastardly idea forming that she hoped would teach Trash a lesson to remember.

_ “Come here, Trash. Let's show Flare what we're capable of.”  _

Trash locked eyes with Flare as she turned her back to walk to Shade. Flare watched her leave and kept her distance from the center of the church. “You don't expect me to kill her, do you?” Trash pleaded and sat down next to the demon she called a friend. Dawn couldn't move and Trash didn't like what she knew would happen next, this wasn't a fair fight. Then again, the alley fight wasn't fair either. Was there a system for killing innocent cats that she wasn't aware of? Was Dawn truly innocent? Who was this strange she cat and why did the two felines have such bad blood? Questions with no answers clouded her mind and she hoped Shade could tell she was uneasy. 

_ “Remember how earlier we were talking about love at first sight?”  _

Shade sat down in her spot and curled her tail around Trash. Dawn rolled her eyes and bit her tongue. “Oh lord, here she goes again. Kill me now so I don't have to hear one more word out of your _ fucking mouth! _ ” Dawn snapped and blinked awkwardly as blood from her ear continued to flow near her eye. Shade ignored her remarks and looked at the glass murals that shone blue on Dawns bright pelt. 

_ “Because love at first sight will always bring downfall. You're caught up in the moment and not thinking then you end up digging your own grave overtime. Dawn is a traitor.” _

Trash listened to Shade speak with perked ears and an open mind. “How?” she asked. Shade moved her lips up to show her gums and bared fangs.

_ “She's a spy. She got close to me and had all the knowledge she needed to destroy Shattered Remains!” _

She formed more turquoise fire on her paws and tightened her tails grip on Trash.

_ “And she did it. She killed me by running me onto the road and crushing my neck. She ruined my life's work in minutes all because I was foolish enough to trust another.”  _

Shade unsheathed her claws and dug them into the rug, her breathing came out uneven and in rasping gasps. 

_ “Dawn took Flare to safety then came back for me! She dragged my body to this prison and left. She's trapped me in here forever!”  _

She howled and got to her paws quickly. Trash scampered to the side and shrunk against the end of one of the pew rows.

_ “Because of her, I lost every chance I had to find SwiftSong! She deserves to die, this one is justifiable. This cat deserves to shatter into nothing!”  _

“Go on, kill me in front of a kit. Show her how much of a maniac you really are! Show her what you'll make  _ her _ do one of these days! Trash, she will make you kill  _ more _ innocent cats!” Dawn bit back harshly. Trash fixed her posture and replied with an edge to her tone.

“But you're not innocent.” The kit said confidently. Dawn twitched one of her eyes and yelped in shock.

“I spied on her army to protect my mate and my child! If she continued her expansion, we would have died!” Dawn looked at Flare and remembered Ashers intense death. “Guess we all did anyway, though.” her voice went unstable and barely audible. 

Trash shook her head side to side. “Shade says you’re not innocent and I don't listen to anyone but her. She knows what's good for me.” she announced. Shade chuckled and lifted up Dawns head with her paw. Dawn looked up at her and pulled a scowl at the queen. Trash stood proudly and watched as Shade prepared to kill Dawns spirit. She didn't know this cat and she had betrayed Shade so she felt no remorse. If she thought she could walk into the church, claim to be her grandmother and live, she was wrong. Dawn accepted her death at Shades claws and kept her stare with the cat. If she wanted to kill her then she was going to watch her strict, emotionless expression as her spirit faded. 

“The Queen will die once and for all, it's only a matter of time! Trash,  _ go to hell!” _ Dawn yelled right as Shades paw cracked into the front of her neck with ease. Her dangerous claws tore through her skin and short fur like nothing, blood hit the pews and Shades restraint on Dawn ended. Her upper half slumped to the floor and blood had begun to soak the red carpet an even darker shade of scarlet. Dawns head rolled loosely to the side and she made sure she died in such a manner that was unforgettable to Trash. If the kit was able to justify her death then she deserved to see how detrimental it truly was. Although, this gave Flare an easier angle to see her mother's spirit shatter. Shade flicked the blood off her paw and reeled to face Flare on the opposite side of the pews. 

_ “Get out! You don't realize how easy it is to destroy a soul formed spirit. You'll be next if you don't leave immediately!” _

Flare stood still in gawking awe, her emerald eyes were tearing up but very few tears actually fell for she was in an intense state of shock. Through the rows of seats she could see Dawns body being taken over by a blinding white light, it started at her heart and covered her entire body like a plague. It finished by covering her beautiful, purple eyes and sending a white flash throughout the old church. Once the flash had finished, the three cats witnessed Dawns spirit crack like glass and dissolve into thin air with her blood that had been spilled. There was no sight of the crime left from that point on and Trash didn't know how to feel about what she had been involved with. With the shattering of a spirit, her assumed disownment from her family and Shade being revealed to be a demon, Trashs head was left reeling with questions. Shade interrupted her thoughts when she noticed Flare was still in the building.

**_“GET OUT!”_ **

Shades voice boomed through the church which made Flare jump up in her spot. She rushed around the pews and hurried to the door and shoved it open through with all her might. The world outside was bright and sunny which was quite ironic to immediately follow the events which had occurred in the holy building. Flare placed one of her paws on the dirt outside but it vanished suddenly once it crossed the doorframe. She didn't look to be in pain because of it, after all, spirits were only visible in the church or by those who they specifically chose to be seen by. 

Flare let her head hang at the doorway, her heart hurt at the thought of leaving her kit for good. But that monster in the church had found someone of her own kind now and Flare didn't want to know the path their partnership would head down. She turned her back to Trash and Shade then exited the church, her tail tip being the last thing to vanish behind her. The remaining two cats stood quietly and waited for Flare to close the door. It slammed shut seconds later and Trash jumped then looked at Shade with a mourning expression on her face. “Why?” she choked out. “Why me?” she reiterated. Shade looked down at her acquaintance and sighed. 

_ “You should get back to Grim, he'll take care of you better than I can. He'll make sure you're okay.”  _

Shade whirled blue fire around her paw and prepared to touch it to Trashs head to wake her up but Trash staggered backwards and refused the gesture. “No! I don't want to be okay, I want answers! You will  _ not _ make me go more clueless than I already am! Don't you tell me vaguely, I want to know it all! I can handle it, I swear!” Trash snapped and Shade looked at her in startled confusion. 

_ “Do you really want to know? It's quite the adult topic…”  _

Shade mockingly smiled, she knew Trash could handle it but she wanted her to admit her own maturity level and walk over the gap in the bridge she'd been stalling on for so long. Trashs cheek fur puffed up and she shoved her face in Shades to the best of her ability. “I  _ am _ grown up! I want to know-- I want to know it all, Shade!” she declared with a glimmer of hurt in her expression. Shade smiled in satisfaction at her confession and led her past the spot where Dawn once was. Shade leapt up on the first pew in the row and waited for Trash to do the same.

She didn't urge the small cat along, she allowed her to take her time processing what had happened for herself. When she was ready, she could join her on the seat and they could discuss this together. Shade didn't even need to force her to listen without backtalk, Trash was so obedient and eager to be accepted which meant Shade had her wrapped around her paw with this knowledge. Trash looked at the doors at the front of the church then turned her sights to the three murals that shone bright, colorful lights into the gorgeous church. These gleams of color made her feel safe and comforted. When she was ready, she excitedly jumped up and snuggled into Shades bushy tail to begin their meaningful conversation. Throughout their talking she couldn't believe that Dawn was gone for good, Flare had left her life forever and all she had left was Shade and Grim. With a smile and a yawn, she decided that's all she needed.

_ “I guess I can start by debunking a myth. You don't have nine lives no matter how badly you believe that you do. It's an old wives tale created to encourage you to live on the edge. You get your present life then your soul moves on as its own being.”  _

Shade started off strong and only continued speaking with the utmost seriousness in her voice. Trash looked to be mildly interested, she was tired at first but Shades explanations woke her right up.

_ “Souls can only be seen in this church or by those who they choose to be seen by outside, which is very rare. It also goes as an unspoken rule that we are not allowed to haunt others or be seen by those who did not know us in our lives.” _

Shade cleared her throat and checked to see if Trash was still following. Trashs expression was full of wonder for she was fascinated with the logic and ways of what happens when you die. “Are souls and spirits the same thing?” she asked with her ears perked forward and tail raised. 

_ “Yes, it's an interchangeable word. Your soul is what you've always been and what makes you, you. Your spirit is the physical ghostly entity you make up after you die. Wandering and silenced souls are quite common among these parts, but you wouldn't know.” _

“So I'm constantly surrounded by cats I can't see?” Trash asked nervously.

_ “Most likely. Depends on where they died, most cats are forced to stick around their death place or they can travel if they're free.”  _

Trash awkwardly laughed. This was actually quite overwhelming the more Shade explained spirits. “Why would they be forced to stay in the same spot?” she raised her head. 

_ “It's what your collar is for. No one knows this besides us spirits so it's unavoidable, if you bear a collar in life and you die with it on then you are confined to your resting spot.” _

The demon sighed and looked at the stairs in the other room. Trash followed her gaze and looked at her mentor sympathetically. “So Dawn brought your body here and now you can't leave?” Shade nodded.

_ “Precisely. I like to refer to this process as a queen going down with her kingdom, except this queen was forced to rot alone. I should have died among my ranks with my people- my spirit should be with them but instead it's locked here.” _

“I'm sorry. Can I break the collar off your body?” Trash abruptly offered, not knowing how to make this better.

_ “It's not your fault and you can’t. My body rotted in the bell room many years ago, there's nothing left but bugs and a memory. Besides, don't apologize for things you didn't do, this was the humans doing." _

Shade thumped her heavy tail on the pew and growled. 

_ “It's a practice of trapping an animal with a collar. It binds the spirit to it through death. Those who die with their collar on remain by it til their spirit fades, which for most, is forever. But you can also use them to recruit your people.”  _

Shade stood up and bounced down to trot onto the stage. Trash remained seated while Shade climbed onto the podium to stand proudly and cast her shadow onto the small cat who sat in waiting. 

_ “Give every cat who joins you a collar if they don't have one. Treat it as if it's a status symbol. Everyone who joins Broken Remains is in it for life, enforce this or you will fail as as leader.”  _

Trash flattened her ears. Well she certainly didn't want her citizens to be trapped in their grave, why would she want that?! “With all due respect, I’d hate to put someone else through the same pain that you're in.” she gently said.

_ “Don't think of it that way. If they're loyal then it’ll be an honor to die in the name of Broken Remains and carry on that pride in death.” _

This made Trash stiffen and rethink the life she was living. She didn't want to think about her future cats dying in ways that weren't humane. She ripped Cherrys throat out and she couldn't imagine the same fate happening to Grim or any of the members to follow. Maybe she could cut the collar off before someone died? No, no, Shade would know and get mad at her for disrupting the pre-set cycle. She hated thinking like this so she decided that no one would die to protect Broken Remains. It wasn't worth it. Shade kept speaking about spirits and her experiences with them until Trash started to doze off on the pew, her head buzzing with ideas on how to avoid the dreaded collar situation.

She hated the devotion she was pressured to push upon those who join Broken Remains but it had to be done. She had to suck it up and deal with it, that's what Shade had been trying to hammer into her head all these months. She was strong and nothing could break her or ruin Broken Remains strife. Death wasn’t avoidable in her city, not anymore. 

Trash wasn't innocent anymore and her name would be forever spoken with a hiss. She tossed and turned in her sleep, desperate to ignore the looming future and horrible outcomes she had nightmares on. Suddenly, a calming sensation spread through her body like water dripping off a leaf on a cool, spring morning. Shade had touched her head with her powers and was pulling her into a peaceful slumber. This made her subconsciously smile. Trash was convinced that the title of being a demon was too harsh, Shade was great and she owed her a lot. Finally being at ease with her mind thanks to Shades calming magic, Trash fell asleep.

 

xXx

 

Trash woke up on her back with her paws dangling loosely in the air. She rolled over, looked at the spot where Grim once was and tipped her head. Where could he have gone? She sat up and licked her fluffy chest then took a glance at the alley. It was quiet and she really wanted to liven it up. She swiftly jumped off the dumpster and walked to the entrance of the alley while stretching as she walked. 

“Grim?” she called and exited the alley to find the tom walking down the sidewalk on the opposite end of the road with a small bird in his mouth. He raised his head at the sound of his name being called and hurriedly trotted across the road with his tail held high. When he reached Trash he guided her into the alley and set the bird down in front of the garbage bin. 

“Dinner.” Grim announced and took a seat then encouraged Trash to do the same with a nudge of his paw. She sat down lazily and thumped her tail on the concrete. Trash stared blankly down as Grim took the first bite of the dusty colored bird, she couldn't shake the thought of her and Shades conversation but she knew if she didn't eat then Grim would get suspicious. She waited for him to pull back then settled down with her legs tucked under her body and took a bite. 

“You know, we should start exploring tonight and familiarize ourselves with the neighborhood. Maybe we can convince some cats to join us.” She licked her lips and twitched her whiskers after her meal.

Grim scooted back and scratched his ear with his paw. “Even if we can't convince them, they're gonna join us.” Trash caught sight of the sinister grin peaking on his face. “You've gotta be aggressive! If they don't join us then these fuckers won't know what hit ‘em.” Grim licked his bloodied paw and cleaned his face. 

“You're right.” 

“And you're the leader, I shouldn't be telling you what to do but I won't hesitate if you do.” Grim corrected with a daring smile and a wink.

Trash groaned and tipped her head back to look at the dim sky. “Right again. Fine, we scavenge the city tomorrow and we aren't coming home alone.” she ordered. 

“That's the spirit!” Grim stood up and licked her cheek. “Let's go hunt some more and have breakfast ready for the morning. Well have a stash ready to welcome the newcomers, it'll be great and seal the deal. Who doesn't love free food?” Grim laughed and and exited the alley with Trash at his side. 

Free food with a hidden price of their life. So now they had plans to force cats to join the their group with the promise of food. What's next, starving those who don't join? God, she hated the way she was thinking but wondered if Grim had already went there in his own mind. Trash knew that the tom would overrun this alley if he had the chance so she raised her head high and picked up the pace. Maybe she went a little too fast because Grim had to rush to catch up to her but he couldn't stop laughing while doing so.

“Are you trying to show me up or impress me?” He giggled. 

“Maybe both.” She admitted and closed her eyes in anticipation for his response.

“Good luck.” Grim sped up and left Trash in the dust. She gasped and rushed forward til they were running through the streets of their city, pushing each other to their limits to get to the non existent finish line. With the moon rising above them, they slowed down and took their time turning around to head home. In the time it took to get back they both had caught a fair share of small mice and rats, just enough to fill their mouths with the catches. Due to this, the walk was quiet and calming. When they eventually reached the alley, Grim strolled in without hesitation but Trash took her time. She looked at the deep woods and wondered how the Outcasts and Rebels were doing in their new homes. But they weren't her responsibly, she had Grim and her alley to take care of and to consume her time. Feeling content with her life, Trash entered the place she was proud to finally call home. 


	17. Relocating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relocating to a new home can be tough, especially after you believe your original one was wrongfully taken from you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter this time! I felt bad for bombarding everyone with all these long and action packed chapters! Not to worry, we'll be resuming with our crazy city antics next chapter! Got some exciting stuff planned- new chapter next week!
> 
> \---
> 
> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

Cherry was buried in the middle of the woods while the Rebels sorted out where their camp would be placed. Lash wanted to keep exploring to find the perfect spot for her but Rasha insisted they bury her before her weight became a burden to the cats who carried her. Wire dug the grave at the roots of a young oak tree, he placed her down and assigned Dust and Lime the task of covering her up. Lime cried constantly throughout the process and hugged the fresh dirt once they had finished the burial. Dust finished his part and backed away instantly, he hated having to see her body slowly vanish under the ground but it had to be done. 

Rasha patted the dirt heap with his paw and nodded in approval. “Let's keep moving then. No reason to stall.” He continued walking through the dark woods and looked back when he realized no one was following him. “I said,  _ come on.” _ Rasha hissed.

The Rebels looked at each other with confused expressions. Were they expected to listen to him? Lash shook his head. “We’re going to the right, it's closer to the water. The left goes deeper into the woods, you need to think about this.” Lash took a step right and his group did the same. 

Rasha snarled. “Of course. You’re the boss.” He aggressively walked past the group to take the lead. Lime curled her thin tail around Cherrys grave and dug her small claws into the soft ground. 

“This isn't fair.” she muttered to Dust. Dust glanced at her and got closer to nudge her shoulder.

“I know it's not but we need to keep moving.” He looked up at the demanding gray tabby ahead of them and rolled his eyes. “Not that I want to follow him. We don't have a choice, say goodbye and I'll walk next to you.” he offered gently and nudged her once more. She hissed and whirled around on him to spike her hackles.

“I don't want to walk next to you!” she snapped and leaned against her friends grave. Dust flinched and raised one of his paws up in submission.

“Then don’t. I'll see you with the group.” he responded as nice as he could. He wanted to snap at her and explain that he just wanted to help but he knew it would make the situation worse. Dust stood up and fell in line behind Spark and Sunset. Lime settled down next to the grave again and rubbed her cheek on the dirt, hoping that Cherry could somehow feel her touch. She mumbled her goodbyes then rushed after the others. The small cat tried to walk by Dust but after snapping at him moments ago, she felt strange to be near him. His long tail accidentally brushed against her nose which made him turn around and give her a sympathetic look. Neither of them said anything when Lime dragged herself along at his side.

After a while of walking, the small group arrived at a very strange clearing. It was circular shaped to accompany six trees on the outer ring and a large stone slab in the center. The stone slab was clearly not natural, it had intricate designs carved into it with a visible split down the center to show that it was capable of opening if the correct measures were taken to do so. It was sunken into the ground and had dust coating the top of it in a thick layer that hid the beautiful designs under it. Bronze was the first one brave enough to step on it, his fake claws tapped the stone experimentally and when he deemed it was stable, he put his entire body on it and walked around. As he walked, he slowly kicked up the dust and instead replaced it with dirty paw prints. The rest of the cats were more skeptical about this odd area, Mist sniffed the stone and held Lime back from walking on it. Rasha, being the showoff that he is, strolled right into it and pranced around with Bronze. Lash was busy inspecting the trees but when he had noticed Rasha was on the rock he hoped that it would crumble under his paws. He snickered to himself at his cruel thoughts then placed his front two paws on one of the trees. 

Rasha raised his head and cackled. “Are you sniffing the trees? Lash, what the hell?!” he burst out laughing and walked over to the leader with his tail swaying. Behind him, the Rebels all had their chance to walk on the stone but some were more energetic than others. Wire was the last one on the rock and he was the least impressed, he grumbled and instinctively started to sweep the dust away with his giant tail.

Lash pulled back from the tree and narrowed his eyes at Rashas comment. “No, I'm checking out every inch of this place to make sure no one will kill us in our sleep. The center piece is unnatural and I better not be the only one here who is concerned about it.” he snorted.

“Well of course I'm concerned about it but I think we should just accept it. We found this place for a reason and I'm practically breathing in cobwebs, no one is here.” Rasha responded sassily and went back with the rest of the group. Lash continued looking at the trees because even they were weird. All six of the trees were perfectly placed across from each other and they were all hollowed out inside. On the inner back wall of the trees were looped metal clamps drilled into the wood which made him think something was supposed to attach to it. But on the brightside, all the trees had old and dirty blankets inside them that contained a light odor. It could have been from rain, age or the elements but these items reeked of something he didn't quite understand. Despite the smell, it was nice. He hoped his cats could get used to the stench but that would be the least of their worries. Actually, they all looked overjoyed to him. Lash sat down by the tree he claimed for himself and leaned against it. His wife, Mist, came trotting up to him to check on her love.

“Are you alright? You look more uptight than usual.” she asked jokingly and nuzzled her head into his cheek fur. 

 

“You smell it too, right?” he dodged her question and took another deep breath of the air. She nodded her head and sat up straight.

“Of course I can but I don't want to think about it. Finders keepers, this place is ours.” she yawned and looked at the sky through the clearing of trees. “Even if we were to leave now I think everyone would pass out from exhaustion halfway to our new destination.” the blue mackerel licked her mates cheek then stood up to walk in the hollow tree. Lash sighed and followed her in.

“You're right as always.” he mewed then helped her rearrange and fluff up the worn out blankets into a comfortable pile that could fit two. Through the darkness of night, he could see blotted patterns on the fabric but he didn't think much of it. They built their nest together and settled down, Lash faced the outside so he could see what everyone else was doing and realized how well the trees worked out. 

They were great shelters for one, if they could hold up without a scratch during the earthquake then he had high hopes for storms and rain protection. The insides were roomy and came with bedding too, there was plenty of trees so everyone who wanted their own could have one. Lash and Mist shared a tree, Sunset and Spark shared one and Lime and Dust decided that it'd be fun to sleep in the same tree together. Wire, Rasha and Bronze got their own trees but Bronze was invited into Sunset and Sparks due to their close friendship. He politely declined the offer so he could respect their boundaries as a couple and took up his own tree. Wire was overjoyed to be alone, he made it clear to the other Rebels that this was his den and his den alone. During his speech Lime commented about no one wanting to be with him anyway which made her and Dust break out in giggles then be scolded by Rasha.

Lime and Dust started making a loose nest like the other cats, they pulled pieces together and folded some over to thicken the pile. Although for two cats sharing one nest, they realized they had less bedding than the others. They voiced their concerns and were met with a solution when Bronze offered to generously give up some of his.

Dust glared at Wires tree. He could have given everyone some of his blankets and wouldn't have known they were missing.  _ Selfish old jackass.  _ He thought harshly to himself and resisted the urge to snarl and confront the persian. Instead of starting unnecessary drama, he took Bronzes gift with a smile and in cooperated it into his and Limes nest. The blanket was a lovely and well needed addition, it added another layer of comfort and softness to the top of their pile. They flattened down the top of the stash and flopped on it with exhaustion clear in the groans they both made when they hit the nest. 

Lime kept her distance from Dust while they slept, between them they made a plush barrier to stop each other from rolling too close in their sleep. Dust rolled over and looked at the she cat he shared a nest with. She was already asleep, her face stained with dark tear streaks that aggressively tore through her delicate gray fur. Their tails brushed and he left it that way, he was used to sleeping in a huddle with his brother but he, of course, wasn't able to do that. He rested his chin on the smelly blankets and looked out the hole in the tree. He awkwardly made eye contact with Lash, had they both been watching the area while their den mate  slept? Dust flicked his ear and Lash did the same, his elegant tassels bobbing as he did. He took it as a sign of trust then turned his cheek and settled down to sleep. 

Lash flattened his long ears back against his head then snuggled against Mist. “Do you think Dust will ever be reunited with Dirt?” he asked softly to his wife. Mist flopped her giant tail on his back and shoved her face deeper in the blankets. She was tired and he knew it but he needed someone to talk to. Moonlight drifted into their den and fell across their resting forms and illuminated the inner tree. 

Lash sat up to squint and look at the pile of fabric under him. What he once thought were fabric designs was immediately proven wrong when the light hit the cloth- the spots of color was  _ blood.  _ From seeing the bloody blankets he was quick to pick up on the horrors of the area. The smell had drowned the clearing in the scent of dog and rustic machinery which explained a lot. If the dogs still lived here then certainly they would have been chased off by now, but they still slept peacefully. These tree dens were homes to  _ dogs.  _ Vicious creatures who clearly had a sweet tooth for gore. If they weren't here but their smell prevailed then this place must have been overrun by them in times of activity. 

Startled by learning something that no one else knew, Lash slid away from under Mists tail and creeped out of the tree without disturbing the sleeping feline. He walked close to the dusty, paw print covered stone and rubbed his own paw against it to feel the textures that were caked in dust. Lash leaned down and blew on the covering to find out that in the cracks of the stone was dried blood so old it hadn't been washed away and was forever set in rock. He looked around the clearing in dismay, they couldn't stay here but even if he stated his case Rasha would convince everyone to stay with a made up reason. But even Rasha had to know this area was dangerous, they were sleeping on blankets covered in blood and shredded by dogs. This man made structure on the floor only told him that it's owners would be back some day and he didn't think they'd be able to hold them off. He wouldn't be able to hold Rasha back, either. 

The Rebel leader looked at the sleeping tabby and unsheathed his claws. He could kill him now if he wanted, it would solve a lot of their problems in a moment. His hackles raised and he started to briskly walk to his sleeping body, he could blame this on one of the dogs coming back or he could pin it on Broken Remains. But would he want to be as bad as Trash who killed for territory and leadership? He'd done it before but now felt different, every move he took mattered and his cats had to be watching. _Good, let them watch._ _This will show them whos the true leader around here._ He thought to himself and stopped in front of the tree to cast his shadow over his rival. 

Lashs thoughts about being watched were proven true when Dust stepped in between the two. He swayed his tail on the dirt and shook his head. “Sir, whatever you're thinking of doing- don't. It isn't worth it to kill him. Go back to sleep, Lash. You're acting about as crazy as Wire.” Dust ordered, his expression full of control and authority over the true leader. 

Lash sheathed his claws and stepped away from the tree. “You're right. I can't believe I was considering it.” he shook his head. A true leader didn't need to maim and murder for power. “Thank you, Dust.” Lash shamefully walked across the clearing and Dust waited by Rasha's tree to make sure the leader wouldn't come back. 

“Kid, you know I would have beat him into next week.” Rasha mewed and rolled over on his back from facing the wall to facing the brown tom. Dust jumped up and spun around at his voice but cooled himself down when he realized that Rasha never was sleeping, just faking it. Did he really not sleep? Did  _ both _ the toms fear being ambushed in their slumber? Dust sat down in front of him and let his head hang as he quietly spoke.

“I know you would and that's what I'm afraid of.” Dust mumbled which got Rashas attention.

Rasha snorted. “Get back to your tree.” he waved his thin tail then rolled back over to give Dust a cold shoulder. Dust slowly made his way back to his tree and was met with Lime, who was wide awake. 

“Oh hey.” Dust said casually and settled down next to her. Lime gave him a concerned glare.

“What was that about?” she asked and scooted closer to him incase he decided to say it quietly.

“Your father nearly killed Rasha.” Dust said. Lime shrugged and laid her small head down.

“He doesn't have the guts to kill him and he never will, no matter what happens. They're stuck at each other's throats for life” Lime replied. Dust wanted to chime in with  _ what if Rasha kills Lash?  _ But he knew that would be a horrible thing to say. She had just lost her sister figure and he didn't want to implant the idea of losing her father in her head, she deserved to rest. He didn't respond but shuffled around to get comfortable. The young cats mumbled their goodnights and fell asleep with their backs pressed against each other.

 

xXx

 

“We need to bring them food twice every season.” Dirt confirmed to Spunky and Dark  “We should start a system of knowing when we do this so we don't forget or overdo it.” He suggested from atop a tree on its side. His friends nodded in agreement and looked at their surroundings for ideas. 

The Outcasts had set up camp deep into the woods on the right side of the stream line. Their home was small yet humble, the three cats didn't need much space to directly call home but either way, this entire half of the forest was theirs. They settled on a nice spot with thick bushes and a fallen tree to refer back to.

“We- we could scratch into the tree every time we do it! We can divide it up and teach our… o-ourselves which mark means what and when we do it.” Dark suggested then bounced close to the fallen tree that Dirt sat on. He raised his paw then struck a blow onto the bark. The wood splintered under his paw and left a clear notch in the wood from where he had struck the old tree. Dirt pounced off the tree to inspect the marking, it was deep enough to last so it could work as a system. The leader nodded his head to his companion in approval. 

“This is it then, we'll section off parts of the tree per season and year.” Dirt spun around to keep analyzing their new camp. The soft ground looked easy enough to dig in, most of the grass had stopped growing in the little ditch, anyway. He trotted over to one of the bushes that framed the dip of land and smeared his paw on the ground. “We dig here. We’ll hollow out the land under the bush and break some of its branches til we can all fit in it comfortably.” he announced and got in a position to begin digging. The small leaves and brambles that made up the bush wouldn't be fun to break or sleep under but this is what they had to work with. 

He considered sleeping under the fallen tree in the ditch but it would provide  _ less  _ coverage to the elements than the bushes would. Paw fulls of splinters and minutes later, the trio had managed to break and clear a spot under the coarse bush. Spunky worked on flattening out the floor while Dark bit off the sharp edges of the branches that threatened to poke them in their sleep if they rolled too far. Dirt was admiring their sleeping quarters from the middle of camp, it looked fine but he knew it couldn't withstand harsh rain. 

He smiled to himself when he recalled the one time he got sick from eating rotten mouse and Dust had tried to bring him water soaked moss but instead poured it on his head. While endearing, he had messed up and profusely apologized for drenching his ill brother in water. Dirt understood his fear, after a disease managed to kill both their parents weeks apart, sickness must have been terrifying to the young tom. He'd have to explain the condition to him one of these days, but today was certainly not the time. Dirt unsheathed his small claws then dug them into the base of one of the oak trees to hoist himself up it. He wobbly crawled out onto the firmest branch he could find and tore off the thin, leaf covered branches that hung downwards. They hit the ground in front of the den and Dark poked his head out from under the bush.

“What are you doing?” The black cat mewed and dragged his chubby body out of the small dip of an entrance. He looked up to see Dirt shaking and clinging to the branch. A bundle of leaves and thin branches came crashing down next to him which made him frown. Dirt carefully shifted himself to see the confused feline.

“Did that hit you?” he gasped then turned to scramble down the tree with very little grace to his run. Dark kicked the pile away from him and shook his head.

“No, but almost. I asked what you were doing but I don't think you heard me from up there.” Dark answered and watched Dirt gather up all the twigs he had cut down. 

“I'm doing an outer layer of protection for our bush!” the leader happily replied and precisely placed his branches where he knew the hollow den was weakest. It wouldn't hold up forever but he was willing to take up the task and routine of fixing it when it needed to be. 

“Oh, well that's a good idea.” Dark mewed tiredly. “When will you be coming to bed?” He hesitated to say but quickly followed up with, “Spunky sent me out here to ask.”

“Did she now?” Dirt mumbled with his mouth full of twigs and leaves. He dropped the pile on top of the bush then smoothed it out. He pressed down on the bush to secure his work and heard Spunky hiss. He quickly backed off of it then turned to Dark. “Is she already sleeping?!”

“Yes, she also wanted me to tell you to stop making so much noise so- so she can rest.” Dark mewed flatly and smiled at Dirts embarrassment. He picked up one of the branches in his mouth then trotted closer to his freckled friend. “Now, where do you want this?”


	18. Recruiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Graffiti on the walls, blood on the floors and cats to recruit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to our big ol' chapters! Enjoy ;)
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> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
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> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
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> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

Trash woke up before Grim which was unusual yet very pleasing. She cleaned her chest fur with a few licks and kept an eye on Grim, who was sleeping peacefully next to her. Even in his sleep he looked grumpy, his eyebrows would furrow and his teeth would occasionally grit. His tail tip twitched and one of his hind legs kicked out. Assuming he was having a nightmare, Trash leaned down to lick his forehead till he woke up. Grim scratched his claws on the dumpster and backed up so far he nearly fell off. 

“For God's sake, Trash! Why can't you just shove me awake like a normal cat would!” he grumbled and rubbed where she had licked with his paw. Trash chose to ignore his snapping and move on with their day. The tom had a temper he clearly couldn't control so forgetting his outbursts even happened worked fine. 

“Come on, we need to go eat then get a move on! We're exploring the city today, remember?” she smiled and jumped down. Grim scratched behind his ear with his hind foot, like a dog, then followed her. 

“That's today? I thought today's schedule would be to nap all day!” he joked and exited the alley with the calico. 

“Yes, it is today. No more napping, we need to get progress done with Broken Remains!” Trash confidently spoke and kept her eyes open for any easy catches along the streets. The rodents around the alley must have learned their hunting times, which was mildly annoying, and the birds had stopped flying low to top it off. They'd have to travel deep into Grinstead for  _ any _ kind of catch and Trash wasn't so sure how she felt about long morning walks. She enjoyed Grims company with them though, the trek out would be unbearable without him for sure.

As the sun rose, the street lamps all uniformly shut off to make way for the natural daylight. It was an interesting sight to see that was full of mystery for the two cats that roamed the streets. Trashs original fear of them still remained, one day they would preemptively flicker off and never come back. The wind caught up in Trashs fur when Grim rocketed out of his spot and started sprinting down the street after a flock of blackbirds.

“W- wait! You've gotta stop running off without me!” Trash yelped and followed him. Grim managed to hook one of the slower birds tail feathers and drag it down to the sidewalk. The rest of its flock looked back momentarily then flew away when they realized Grim had already killed his catch. Trash caught up to him and swished her tail around while she looked at the bird. “It's so little.” she commented.

“And it's food. Where are we dining at?” Grim looked around them and Trash did the same. 

“I say we keep walking and try out some roads we haven't gone down before so I can hopefully find something too.” Trash walked up the block with Grim close at her side. They turned to cross the street instead of sticking to the sidewalk. Immediately upon walking the new direction, they were greeted with tons of new sights. This area must have been designated for shopping; colorful and decorative display signs were knocked down from their original spots on the wall and instead blocked the sidewalks. The light bulbs in the signs were cracked all over the street along with the glass from the main windows of the shops.

It was a territory of broken glass and colorful destruction that made Trashs fur stand on end. Something about the large arrays of graffiti and popping colors inside the destroyed stores made her belly churn with uncertainty. She hated the feeling of being watched from tall buildings windows so the thought of them being surrounded on street level was even worse. 

“Are we going to park it anytime soon? This bird is getting cold in my mouth.” Grim dropped the bird suddenly which made Trash flinch at the noise of more blood seeping out of the large gash Grim had already inflicted upon it. 

“Yeah, here is fine. Let's move on the sidewalk where we won't get tail fulls of glass.” Trash snatched the bird from him before he could get to it and headed to a part of the sidewalk that wasn't covered with earthquake debri. They settled down cautiously and looked at each other awkwardly, they didn't know who deserved to eat the bird since it was only a few bites worth of meat. Their stare off was settled when Grim pushed it towards the she cat with his paw. 

“You eat it. I'm sure you can't handle anymore judging by the size of your eyes when you admired the wreckage.” Grim flicked his tail in her face when he stood up to pass her. “I'll find something else.” Trash wanted to argue with him but he was right, she was full of anxious feelings and he knew she was uncomfortable.. if he really knew it then he wouldn't have left her alone. She frowned down to the bird then took a soft bite out of its belly. 

Grim was shuffling and taking large steps to avoid the sharp objects in his path but he knew there would be some rodents in the area. He passed what he assumed was a bakery but froze in his tracks when he picked up a strong scent. He backed up and stood on the fallen wooden sign that had a loaf of bread neatly painted on it. Trash looked content with her meal from what he could see from down the street so he headed inside, his ears perked on alert. It looked empty and ransacked, cake plates were broken all over the floor and what he assumed was once colorful and full of life was now dreary and dirty. The leftover pastries in the display cabinets were moldy and covered in bugs, he scowled at it then flinched when his paw sunk into an old slice of cake that had managed to fall on the floor. Grim reeled back from it immediately and wiped his paw clean on the cracked, tile floor. 

The door behind the counter was cracked open by a bag of what he assumed was flour or some kind of bulk baking material. He crawled under the gate that allowed people behind the register and took a closer look at his surroundings. The pink menu boards were crashed on the floor and the cash register looked like it had suffered numerous blows from scavengers trying to break into it. Grim raised his head to sniff the air. There had to be more here than just moldy treats and disappointment. The inward cracks in the tiles along the wall led him to believe that rodents did in fact live here and he could hopefully get lucky with a catch. 

He nudged the fallen boards aside to take a closer look at the small holes in the wall but couldn't smell any creatures. The only thing he could smell was.. what was it? It was a concoxion of things that forced him to step back and deeply sniff once more so he could analyze what he was picking up. His eyes lit up when he realized what he had caught-  _ a cat. _ He rushed out from behind the counter and spun around himself to make sure he was alone. The coral colored tile in the dark space threw him off, there was discolorations in the floor which he soon realized was blood. There was a cat here and they were hurt, he concluded. Grim inched himself forward carefully, he kept his body low to the ground in a hunting stance as he got closer to the saloon style gate. 

“Grim? What's in there?” sent the already on edge tom jumping up. He whirled around and cooed  _ shh _ to Trash who was poking her head in through the doorway. She mimicked his pose to the best of her ability and crawled to his side. With her next to him, he gave her the run down of his investigations and she squeaked in delight. Trash and her optimistic heart saw this as a chance to bring new members into Broken Remains like they had planned to but Grim didn't trust whoever was with them. 

“I'm going in first, back me up.” he murmured and speedily walked under the gate to get close to the bag holding the door open. The bag was colorful and.. strangely recognizable to him. He looked at the front and gasped- cat food. This only confirmed his suspicions more. Trash peeked under the gate that led behind the counter and tipped her head. Grim got himself to a sturdy angle and dug his claws into the bag then dragged it to show Trash the front of it. The display was clear to see for them, it was a well known cat kibble brand that they both had experience with from being born a house cat. Due to Grim tugging the bag it became unbalanced and spilled on the floor, colorful pellets of various shapes spread on the tile and Grim narrowed his eyes. 

Trash batted the familiar pellets that spread towards her away with her paw. She hated this stuff for more than just it's taste, it reminded her too much of Flare and she didn't want those, now bad, memories back. Grims shredded ears raised at the sound of creaking from behind the door, he looked at Trash with a daring expression then jumped on the bag to fully enter the room. Trash skipped over the food and joined him in the kitchen and stock room.  

The few shelving units that were screwed to the ground remained standing but all of their contents had been knocked to the floor, glass jars of colorful preserves stained the tile while bags of raw material had been slashed open with numerous claw marks. Grim walked past them into the kitchen section, there was a back door that led into an alley but it had a thick padlock on it so he ruled that out for being the noise he had heard. The low cabinets were all open and the sink was overflowing with water, so much so that there was a bucket under it to catch all the water. He looked around the area and saw even more buckets full of water. The storage was so neat and clean, whoever had residence here knew what they were doing which impressed him. He wanted them with Broken Remains for sure and he had his mind set on getting their help however he could.

“Anything over here?” Trash mewed and admired the dusty kitchen utensils and appliances. 

“A long lasting supply of fresh water, look at this.” Grim waved his tail for Trash to join him so she strolled over to the buckets. Grim looked at the one with water flowing into it and snarled. “It's empty. Whoever did this is here, they just changed out the bucket.” the loud dripping of water into the bucket made him bare his fangs. This cat was clever and he hated how they were smarter than him. 

“Should we call for them and demand that they come out? Assert what's ours!” Trash suggested excitedly and bounced up.

“You are way too excited about breaking into someone's home to convince them that they are in our land now. We'll get to it.” Grim lapped up some of the water, paused, then went back for more. “God, I haven't had water this good since I was a house cat. I say nothing is better than fresh lake water off the mountains but no, this is the best. I'm amazed it's still running.” he complimented. Trash put her paws up on one of the buckets then drank some of the water. He was right, this is fantastic! It was so much better than the dirty water they drank from puddles or drain pipes. Once Grim had his fill of fresh liquid, he pulled away from the bucket to exhale in satisfaction. “You wanna wait em’ out or force them to come to us?” Grim asked. 

Trash turned behind her to the narrow door at the far end of the big room. “We haven't checked there yet, it's probably where they are.” she mewed and Grim immediately stormed past her. He didn't know how to properly approach them so he scratched his claws on the door where he saw faint preexisting marks.

“ _ Huck? _ ” Came a mature, male voice from the other side of the door. Grim was so taken aback he mumbled a reply of  _ mhm _ instead of forcing a fake voice that held the high possibility of being incorrect. Trash stood in the middle of the room behind him, she waited patiently for the door to open but continued to anxiously look around. She looked up at the tall, metal shelves and jumped when she saw a brown lump on the top tier. The nervous cat was met with hazy blue eyes that sent her scrambling to Grims side. Grim stiffened and went to snap at her for startling him but stopped himself when he saw her terrified expression.

He followed her stare to see the creature jump off the top shelf and land on the floor, their giant stature didn't even shift as they thudded against the tile. Simultaneously, the door opened slightly and a thin faced, tan cat poked their head out to be greeted by Grim who had his attention directed at the gigantic stranger. The new feline yelped and dove back behind the door for cover from the impending fight. If Grim didn't know any better, he would have assumed the cat he was facing off against was a bear cub. Their large body and massive paws intimidated him but he unsheathed his claws to drag along the tile and lash his tail. No introductions or threats were needed, Grim had made a name for himself already by claiming he was the cat they were looking for. They knew he had bad intentions and he couldn't fix that. 

He had to keep them away from Trash so he jumped first and slashed the cats big nose to send them spinning. They hissed and stumbled over to him but Grim raced around the apparent Maine coon, judging by their brown tabby fur and ear tassels. He flung himself at their tan mane of a neck and dug his claws into their fur but realized he was coming to the same problem he had with Wire. The only difference was that this wasn't an organized event, this was raw street fighting and Grim lived for the thrill of it. Well, only if he came out alive.

“Trash! Get in here!” He called to snap his friend out of her timid funk. Trash looked at the closed door but knew they wouldn't be able to get in if this beast of a cat was going to stand in their way. She jumped at them and lunged her way onto his back, beneath the curtain of fur she caught sight of a black collar and worked to get her mouth around it. Once she had a good grasp on it, she tore her head back and snapped the collar with her. The giant tom choked at the pull and reeled back on his hind legs with Trash still on him. Grim dropped loose the second the enemies massive paws flailed in the air for balance and he ducked for cover from being indirectly hit.

Trash and the stranger went reeling back till he rammed her spine into the unit. Trash stabilized herself on the shelf at her level and kept a strong hold on his collar, he gasped and spit while trying to pull free from her but couldn't seem to do it. Grim snarled and approached the restrained cat bravely. “Surrender so we can talk.” he commanded. 

The tabby gave a final struggle against Trash but couldn't get free. With saliva bubbling at his maw he coughed once more and whispered, “I give in.” in a soft tone. Grim was startled by this, he expected him to have a very masculine voice but instead he sounded like a frightened kit missing their mother. Trash hesitantly looked down at Grim and he nodded in approval when he had heard what he wanted. This cat was honest and he could tell it all by his ease to surrender against those he knew were more powerful than he was. Grim raised his head and flared his nostrils in distaste. If he was this willing to give in then how would he stand up against the Rebels and whoever else stood in their way?

Trash let go of the collar and he went tumbling down to the floor in front of her with a thud. While he spit up and gasped for breath, Trash realized how vulnerable this cat on the floor under her was. He was just trying to protect his land and whoever he held dear to him behind the door. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and looked the other way when Grim harshly jumped on his back to hold him down between his shoulders. He forced the Maine coon to his round belly and leaned down to whisper into his tall, tufted ears. 

“Is it just you and the fella in the side room? I suggest you be honest, we're in charge of this city now and if you don't confess it now then it'll be much worse for everyone involved down the line. Spill it.” Grim snarled. 

“There's someone wounded in here! Please, mercy!  The skinny tan cat Trash had noticed earlier cried and flung the door he hid behind open. The room was revealed to be a small storage closet, the confined walls were lined with empty shelves and a stack of wet floor signs were stacked in the corner, along with traffic cones. The floor was covered in dirty towels that were bunched up in various places and in the middle of the tiny closet was a small, black shape clearly shaking under the towels. The giant cat Grim held down exhaled in relief. 

Trash gasped and Grim rolled his eyes, he knew she would have a soft spot for them which was unacceptable. She rushed towards the closet door and looked in the room to see a pile of blood soaked towels on one of the shelves while another was working on getting filled up. The injured cats head and stomach was wrapped in a towel like a bandage that clearly wasn't working.

“He's going to bleed out,  _ please  _ miss, help us.” The tall cat pleaded to her. Trash stepped on the towels to look at him closer. 

“What did this..?” she asked gently and looked at the beggar. 

“We don't know. He woke up like that this morning, claiming it happened suddenly. He was with us all night since we sleep in a pile, we would have known if he snuck out or if something was here.” He answered and sat down at the door frame. His yellow eyes seemed to be draining in color by the minute, these cats were suffering and Trash wanted to help them. 

Grim saw where this conversation was going so he stepped off of the large tom who, when standing tall, was nearly double the size of the gray Chartreux. The two stood side by side in silence til Grim looked at the new faces and spoke up. “What are your names?” he asked and raised an eyebrow.

The tom at the door spoke for them all, clearly the man in charge. “My name is Adder, muscle boy is Huckleberry and our injured companion is Ismet.” Adder looked aside at his immediate admittance of how vulnerable they were. It was a common code passed among the city cats to not trust each other, resources were precious here- beyond popular belief.

“Ah, so the brains, the brawn and the baby?” Grim laughed and commented. No one made a sound at his harsh words and he snorted then looked expectantly towards Trash.

“Well, we appreciate your compliance and would love to help you if you join us.” Trash mewed courtly.

“ _ Us? _ There's more to you guys?” Adder growled defensively. It was times like this where Trash wished she could share a mental connection with Grim like she did with Shade. But the uneasy look he held on his face said enough, she had to tell the truth about their groups current state. There was no use in lying, if these cats joined them then they'd see immediately though their bluff about being powerful. Broken Remains had nothing but a leader, a right hand man and a dream.

“No, it's just me and Grim. I'm the leader of our group, Broken Remains, and we are hoping to recruit new members to join.” Trash confidently said and raised her head. Adder suspiciously narrowed his dim eyes. 

“What are the perks of joining? Who are you? What do you stand for?” He questioned then rounded in front of Trash to force her out of the storage room and away from Ismet. Did he think she would hurt the already injured cat?

“We could save his life and I think that's enough said. I'm Trash.” She declared with uncertainty in her shaky voice while dodging his questions.

_ “Could you now? How exactly do you plan to do that?” _

Trash flinched like a cold chill had hit her, it'd been a while since Shade last spoke to her this way.  _ I’ll clean his wounds with the towels but use water alongside it. I hope it'll help, whenever my old owner hurt himself he would do the same to himself.  _ She thought in response and reassured Adder with a shaky smile. Shade snarled. 

_ “Regardless, you're not exactly selling it. You're being so polite and that's not how this works. Demand their respect, you don't need to explain yourself.” _

Ismet shook where he laid and jutted out one of his hind legs while yelping. The small cat was in tremendous pain and the wait while the two cats in charge discussed their fate was unbearable. He needed help now or never and everyone in the room knew this.

_ “They're weak! Get them, Trash!” _

Adder whipped his rat like tail around while pushing his stubby muzzle in Trashs face. “Even if we refuse to join you, would you still help save his life?”

_ “Say you wouldn't! If they want your assistance then they need to be on your side!” _

Trash felt Grim brush against her shoulder then whisper into her ear. “Tell him  _ no.”  _ his calm voice echoed in her ear and rang through her mind, haunting her judgment and clogging her rationality. He gently pulled away from her ear then aggressively watched over Huckleberry to make sure the big cat wouldn't try anything. Trash looked down at her white paws, over to Ismet and up to the blown out row lights in the ceiling before her shaking sights landed on Adders desperate own.

“Would you save hi-”

Trash bit the bullet and cut Adder off, she had made up her mind and had to say this now, “I would. I would save his life even if you didn't join Broken Remains.” she blabbered out and flinched when Shades gasp of shock sung in her head. Adder lowered his eyelids and smiled, his grin pulled at his cheeks and made a firm crease up to his eyes. 

“You're respectable and selfless. We will join Broken Remains and can work out the details later. If you say you will help him then we will be happy to assist your wishes.” Adder gave Trash her space so she could sigh in relief and delight. 

Maybe she didn't have to listen to Shades every command and maybe the way to these cats hearts was through kindness. She had made her own decisions as leader against the mite of the two closest to her and she couldn't be prouder. Ismet whimpered in pain again so she entered the room with her wits, her sympathy and a demon on her side. While it might not have been the entire city, she had this under control and that's what mattered.


	19. Conserve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conserve that water, it's so much more than what meets the eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

_ “Oh shit, that looks way worse than I expected.” _

Shade harshly commented when Adder carefully peeled the blood soaked towel away from Ismets stomach so Trash could take a look at the damage. It was hard to see exactly where the wound started and stopped, it was so steep up his side that the blood coated his entire flank. The only indication of the wounds location was based on where his short, black fur wasn't. Whatever did this to him shredded through his skin and stripped him of large, defining lines of fur.

The sight was sickening and Trash didn't even think Shade could fix this, the blood was overwhelming and he was repeatedly slipping in and out of consciousness. Dark scarlet would bubble in one specific area then his small head would thud onto the crimson towels he laid on before jerking back up.

“He's only getting worse.” Adder frowned and crawled onto the shelf above his friend so he could stare down at him. Trash struggled to find remaining clean towels in the closet and threw whatever she could down onto his flank and applied pressure to whatever area clogged the towel fastest. 

This was beyond overwhelming, the amount Cherry bled couldn't compare to the amount Ismet was losing.  _ How is he still alive?!  _ Trash remarked while resorting to laying on Ismets small body to keep pressure on every laceration on his side. “Grim, change out the towels on his head! Huckleberry, push over a bucket of water!” Trash quickly commanded and grimaced at the blood caking and drying on her soft, orange fur as it easily leaked past the towels fabric. The two toms rushed to their assigned positions while Adder raised his head and moved his wide, bat like ears.

“What can I do?” he offered then reached down a thin paw to comfortingly rub Ismets naturally curled ears. 

“You can start by explaining how the hell you're so calm!” Trash hissed when her back paw slipped on the blood covered floor. Adder pursed his mouth and went right into explaining.

“Another cat who we lived with was crushed during the earthquake; bricks rained down on his head and smashed him into the concrete. Gore got everywhere and in our journey to this location we got used to the carnage of our dead peers. I just hope Ismet doesn't fall among their ranks so soon.” Adder answered casually while licking his paw clean of the blood that ended up on his toes. Trash winced as she pictured the sight of a cat covered in bricks and drywall, helpless under the debris that covered them and tore into their skin while more fell onto them. 

Grim scooted in near Ismets head and swiped the towel away from his eyes. His right eye was closed while the other was wide open, foggy and staring directly at him. His pupil was blown and dull, the eye clearly being useless after it was sliced through. The strike that destroyed his eye started on his forehead, went clean through his eye and ended at his jaw while branching off in a shorter cut under his eye. There was another deliberately placed cut that was opposite the one on his forehead to form an ‘X’ shape that was branded permanently his flesh. This tear stopped just above his right eye, barely saving it from the same fate as the left.

Grim bit his tongue then draped another towel over his face to cover the carnage. Huckleberry rushed into the doorway after shoving a full bucket of water across the floor by himself, the water sloshed around inside the bucket and dripped messily on the floor in his path. Grim and Trash thanked him graciously and gingerly started to soak the towels in water before placing them on him.

“Adder, clear our work space and go wash the towels the best you can.” Trash mewed and threw another soiled towel off to the side before grabbing the cleanest one she could find and dunking it in the bucket Huckleberry had brought. Adder nodded in reply to her then started to gather up the rags by tugging them out from under Ismet and from the corners they were tossed into. He picked up some in his mouth then struggled to kick the wad of bloody towels into the kitchen. His thin and shaky legs slipped on the spilt water on the tile but kept rushing to his collected water buckets in order to clean them.

Once Adder reached his water collections he debated tainting the crystal clear water that reflected his nervous face back to him. If he cleaned these towels then they'd be an entire bucket out of drinking water and would be behind schedule on the collections, it was a tough choice he had to make but he threw the rags in the bucket one by one for Ismets sake. Clear water splashed out of the small tub and overflowed onto the floor every time he added a new one and shoved down on it. The water that hit the floor quickly formed a puddle and rushed its way to the drainpipe in the center of the floor. The clean water soon became tainted with blood but he continued to repeatedly dunk the cloths around in a cycle of pushing them around to clean them. As he washed the towels to the best of his ability, he soon took into notice that the sink wasn't overflowing as it should be. Without a bucket to routinely catch the spilling water the floor would be flooded but since the water in the pipes had suddenly shut off, all they had left was three buckets and however much was backed up in the industrial sized kitchen sink. He suddenly regretted cleaning these towels and mixing blood in their valuable water supply. 

“ _ Adder! _ ” Trash yelped and pleaded so loudly it startled the tom who was arms deep into the bloody water bucket. He staggered back on his hind legs and tipped the bucket onto himself, the transparent red water rushed over his face, clogged his nostrils and drenched his fur. He spit and coughed then kicked the empty bucket away from him with his strong hind legs. The container clanged on the tile floor then banged into the metal cabinets which made him flinch. He scrambled up while slipping on the water covered tile and kicked the water logged towels to the cats who needed it. Huckleberry met him halfway and took the rags away from him to pass onto Trash and Grim. The large tom quickly ran back to Adder for more towels but Adder stopped him in his rush to talk.

“Is he going to live?” Adder questioned and handed off a bundle of sopping wet towels to his friend. Huckleberry took them in his mouth and didn't reply but instead gave him a sorrowful look. Adder shook in fear but had to distract himself from the possible fear of losing someone so close to him again, he charged back to his spot and gathered the remaining towels in a ball to push across the floor for Huckleberry to exchange. But Huckleberry wasn't there, instead, he was sitting hunched over against the door frame of the closet with his head hanging low. 

Trash and Grim were sitting back as well, their wet and dirty bodies were heaving with exhaustion from the need to help Ismet. Adder scrambled, jumped and skidded over his towels so fast he bumped into the wall next to the door. He held his breath as he poked his head into the room to see what had come of his injured friend.

Ismet laid still, his head and flank were covered in a single wet towel that managed to stay mostly white. The area was clean of blood, Trash and Grim had done a wonderful job of helping the black cat. 

“Is he okay?” Adder mewed and pushed himself in between Trash and Grim to sniff the towel that was pressed on Ismets shaking body. 

“Grim pressed down too hard on his forehead laceration and knocked him out immediately. He's sleeping now so I assume he'll be fine if we keep watch on him and continue changing out the towels. What was all the noise just now?” Trash responded and turned her head to Adder. 

“You startled me and I wasted an entire bucket of water.”

“It was wasted the minute you put the towels in it.” Grim snarled when he sensed the toms hostility. Adder huffed and leaned down to lick Ismets spiked shoulder fur to avoid more of the conversation. Once he had the fur smoothed and his head clear, he pulled back and twitched his whiskers.

“We have three buckets left and the water in the sink just stopped flowing.” Adder couldn't help but growl. 

“Water will always come, it's fine.” Grim shrugged him off.

“Fall is coming to an end and winter will be here fast. What will we do when everything freezes up?” Huckleberry chimed in with his own questions. 

“Easy, we go drink from the lake.” Grim smirked and Trash felt uneasy all over again.

“How would the Rebels and Outcasts feel about that?” Trash gasped.

“It doesn't matter how they feel. They'll ignore us and leave us be and we'll do the same to them.” Grim declared despite the confusion of Adder and Huckleberry. Had he forgotten these cats were unaware of the tension between the city and forest groups?

“And if they don't?” Trash whimpered and flattened her ears.

“Then the only thing they'll be feeling is pain. Our group is growing, Trash. We just outnumbered the Outcasts and while I could take them all on my own, I'm sure Huck here would cast a fine shadow over their small camp.” Grim closed his eyes as he bathed in the feelings of victory. 

Adder looked back to tabby in the doorway and frowned. Huckleberry stood up and shook his head softly. “We don't want to hurt anyone. We have no malicious intent.” He gently purred and Grim was once again startled by how high pitched and childlike his voice was.

“We have enemies and those cats are now  _ your _ enemies. Welcome to Broken Remains.” Grim snorted and flicked his bloodied tail tip.

“What makes them our enemies aside from the fact that we are apart of your group now? We know nothing about these cats apart from word on the street. What have they done to spark this assumed war?” Huck raised one of his thick eyebrows in confusion. Trash watched a wide smile sneak it's way onto Grims face. She knew he was going to oversell what they've done but the more she thought about it, was that a bad thing? 

“What they've done? What  _ haven't  _ they done!” Grim snapped and waved one of his paws around in the air to emphasize his speech. “They murdered a pregnant cat on a hill  _ and _ her unborn children! Whenever Trashs mother  _ begged _ for their mercy they gashed her throat out in front of Trashs innocent and wide eyes! Once they had her helpless and young, they  _ enslaved  _ her to work for them and do their bidding. They  _ kidnapped _ me from my home, nearly tore my eye out and forced me into the same terrible life as her! How we got free from their clutches? They forced Trash to kill one of their own to prove her strength. They didn't think she'd do it and Trash sent then running for the woods!” Grim finished with a triumphant yell. Trash involuntarily felt herself shrink down at the graphic descriptions of her past.

He was lying. Grim was fabricating and mixing the truth right before her very eyes. The Rebels didn't demand her to kill Cherry, sure, they were taunting her but no one  _ forced _ her to do it. If that was the new reality for her freedom story then she assumed she had to believe it and carry through with the lie. 

He was still going, Grim continued to form more stories of terror on the spot that left Huckleberry and Adder speechless and in awe. Grim even had to pause and catch his breath he was talking for so long with so much spunk to his powerful voice. With every tale he told Trash felt like it had happened and she had witnessed it herself—his lies were so believable. As of right now, he was deep into a fake story of the Rebels breaking into residential cats homes for no reason other than to terrorize the house cats who lived there. 

Trash knew he would keep talking and spreading these lies til his final breath so she cut him off by shoving her shoulder against his. “They get it. You're going to traumatize them.” Grim looked at her with a scowl but playfully laughed.

“My apologizes. You two do understand why we hate them now and formed our own group against them, right?” Grim wanted to confirm their loyalty now rather than later. 

Adder cleared his throat and spoke for Huck and Ismet like usual. “O- of course, it's hard to like them after hearing that and what they've done.”

“Good. Say, do you gentlemen happen to know about anyone else in this city? As in, direct locations?” Grim leaned into Adders face and nearly made the clumsy tom stumble into Trash.

“No, everyone we lived with scattered or died.” Adder mumbled and pawed Grim away from him. Grim kept pushing him and Trash resulted to backing up which made Adder tumble to the ground. Grim towered over him and shoved his face down to Adders. Trash helplessly watched as Grim waved his tail around casually while he had Adder pinned to the floor.

“Are you sure, Adder? You're in Broken Remains now and it'd be a real shame to lie to  _ me. _ ” Grim snarled and raised his hackles. Adder trembled under him and aggressively shook his wide head.

“We knew a cat named Vixen, she ran the opposite direction from us whenever the earthquake hit and took some cats with her in the split to escape. We have no idea where she is, though.” Adder quickly said which got Grim to pull back and sit down. 

“ _ Vixen. _ Anything else on her?” Trash joined in the conversation. Grim was doing it again, he was getting so caught up that he was forgetting who the true leader was. 

“She holds the same ambitions as you guys and I think you all would get along well.” Huck spoke up and looked down at Ismet. The cat was sleeping soundly, he occasionally had a small tremor in his sleep but looked to be doing fine. He leaned down to peel the towel on his head off and replaced it with a clean one. 

“Alright, we’ll have to keep an eye out for her then.” Trash smiled politely but realized how nerve wracking it would be if she found them first. A cat who thought the same as her and Grim was frightening to think about.

“So when do you think we could get back to the alley?” Grim looked at all the members of Broken Remains and then to the leader. 

“The alley? Your home?” Adder asked to confirm what he meant. 

“Yep. Our home, our base, our camp, whatever you want to call it works. Everything revolves around that place.” Grim answered with pride in his mew.

“Well, I'm sure we'd all love to see it but Ismet won't be suitable for walking any time soon.” Adder pushed himself up off the floor then motioned for Huck to change out the flank towel. Huckleberry rushed to the rag and went to go replace it while everyone else kept talking. Trash furrowed her brows as she thought and looked around the room. Under one of the shelves in the closet she saw a ripped piece of cardboard and suddenly had an idea.

“We can stay here overnight then bring Ismet to the alley in the morning.” Trash suggested and watched as Huck gently laid another towel on Ismets large wounds.

“How? I just said he can't walk and there's no way I'm carrying him.” Adder asked in disbelief.

“We’ll put him on one of those cardboard pieces then drag him to the alley.” Trash motioned her paw to the cardboard behind Adder and directed everyone's attention to it. “We can't be gone for too long or else the Rebels will try to move back in. Even if we do wait for Ismet to fully heal it'll be weeks for those wounds to stop pulling, best to have everyone settled in for the healing to begin.” the calico concluded.

Adder sighed. “What about our conserved water? We can't drag three buckets-”

“Two.” Huckleberry admitted and shifted his giant paws. 

“Two!?” Adder hissed. “Why didn't you wet the towel in the sink!” He aggressively snapped to his friend.

“The water in the sink drained down the pipe, it's gone.” Huck sadly informed him. 

Adder inhaled so deeply his shoulders shifted back and he raised his head up with his breath. “Let's use it all tonight and tomorrow morning then. We need to get Trash and Grim cleaned up.” he kindly offered. Trash looked down at herself and became jarringly aware of her blood drenched fur. She hadn't thought much of it when she laid her entire body on Ismets side to apply even pressure on his wounds, it was simply an instinct of hers. 

“That sounds very nice. Thank you, Adder.” She dipped her head in thanks and led Grim out of the room with her. Trash trudged herself past the storage shelves and into the kitchen area. Her soft chest fur was matted with dried blood, it crumbled to grainy dust whenever she swiped at it with her paw. She frowned and sat down next to the buckets. “Grim, are we doing the right thing by having them join Broken Remains?” she asked the Chartreux who was working on wetting some clean towels in the second to last water container.

He shrugged at her question then tossed another small towel into the bucket. “I think it's hard to judge when something's right or wrong, especially in this day and age. You do what  _ you _ think is best while taking advice from others. But since you're asking me? What we’re doing is  _ absolutely _ correct.” Grim replied and fished one of the sopping wet towels to throw at Trashs dirty paws.

Grim threw one more towel down then wiped his paws clean before sitting in front of Trash. He picked up one of the towels in his mouth then started to clean Trashs chest fur. He dragged it up and down her fur and adjusted his grip and angle constantly to scrub the blood out. Trash raised her head to he could gently wipe her chin. “You lied to them, was that right?” she whispered and squeezed her eyes tight when Grim aggressively scrubbed at more dried blood.

“Morally? No, it was wrong. From the point of view of someone who's trying to fight back an impending revolution? Completely right and reasonable. Don't worry about it, with your leadership and my help, everything will be fine.” he laid down on the floor and grabbed his second towel to begin to clean her bloodied white, socked and striped legs. Once he finished wiping them clean with extreme precision and care, he sat back to tip his head around and crack his neck after sitting hunched over for so long. "Now do the same to me, I think it's mostly on my legs but it wouldn't hurt to clean them off before it stains like my paws.” Grim smiled and kicked the other towel into a wad. Trash nodded in agreement with him and picked up one of the wet towels in the bucket to begin scrubbing at his legs. 

As she laid on the floor in front of him, she let her mind wander to what he had done to earn himself the scarlet that would forever coat his paws. She knew his history of battles in the forest but not anything in detail. Frankly, she didn't want to know. The ignorant bliss of not knowing about what he left behind in his wake was fine with her. 

Grim looked at the open closet door and chuckled, he twitched his leg to make Trash aware of it. She looked confused at first but turned around to see Huckleberry wrapped around Ismet with Adder sheltering the wounded feline by laying in front of him with his chin resting on Huck large paws. Trash smiled with him and pushed herself up off the slippery floor to get a proper view at the sleeping trio. 

“They're so peaceful.” Trash happily smiled and commented. Grim didn't respond to her, he was blankly staring at the rush of red water flowing into the circular drain in the middle of the floor. The dirty water that dripped from his legs ran into the stream along with the blood and vanished into the small holes of the metallic covering. 

After a while of watching it all move in the cracks of the tile, the water ran clean and clear thanks to the rag Trash had set down after cleansing his fur. He directed his attention to the friendly she cat in front of him and smiled. If after the near death of Ismet they could still find peace in each other, he knew he could do the same with himself.


	20. Trails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy trails to the growing group of Broken Remains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

Trash and Grim decided to sleep in one of the metal cabinets that lined the kitchen, they pulled the sliding doors shut as best as they could and slept in the corner. With winter quickly closing in on them, they learned from Huck, Adder and Ismet that huddling together would be best in order to preserve warmth. Grim slept with his back against the wall and Trash laid snugly pressed against his side with her paws tucked under her body. Her cheek leaned against his chest while Grims rested on her head. 

The air duct couldn't compare to the closeness of this but strange enough, Grim wasn't complaining. Grim was already asleep and tired for good reason. Trash snuggled her face deeper into his long chest fur and stared blankly down the rest of the empty and endless cabinet. The darkness of the small tunnel ahead of her was mesmerizing so she let her eyelids droop closed steadily. The longer she was awake, the more she began to realize the shadows were manifesting themselves into a figure. Shade stood before her with a confident stance and large paws so close to Trash’s face, she felt her whiskers brush against them.

_ “Interesting tactic back there.” _

The Queen commented and sat down, making no noise against the thin metal as she did. Trash cautiously checked to see if Grim was awake or if this was even safe to be doing.  _ What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't leave the church? _ Trash thought her questions up and waited for Shades to come to her. 

_ “With Dawn dead, I have freedom at last. I'll stay out of your way; but the change in scenery is very pleasant after so long of being locked up.”  _

_ And Grim? _ Trash wondered.

_ “He's sound asleep. Don't worry, I won't be long. I just wanted to properly check in on you before I went to examine the rest of Grinstead.”  _

“Okay.” Trash audibly whispered and snuggled her face back into Grims long chest fur.  _ Are you done here? _

_ “Yeah. I'll get back to you on the state of the true heart of the city soon. Get some rest.” _

Shade turned her head and once Trash blinked, the demon was gone. Trash couldn't stay awake much longer, just heartbeats after her interaction with her friend, she had fallen asleep. 

 

xXx

 

Trash woke up to the loud noises of cats talking, her torn ear flicked at the sound and she shoved her face into her leg to sleep a little while longer. The voices only got louder so she aggressively stood up and stepped out of the cabinet onto the cool tile. She was greeted by the three toms all sitting around the last remaining water bucket and cracking jokes to each other.

Grim snickered into his paw at Hucks joke but straightened up at the sight of the drowsy Calico acting like she was taking her first steps of life. She stretched and yawned loudly then sat at Grims side. “And the leader is awake! Good morning.” Grim nudged her with his shoulder kindly. 

“Morning, boys.” she nodded and placed her dainty paws on the lip of the bucket so she could drink some of the water. As she drank, Adder began to inform her of the plan for today. 

“Instead of the cardboard, Grim had the idea to move Ismet to the alley in one of the buckets. We’ll tip over one of the empty ones, get him in it then Huck will drag him using the handle.” He mewed and kicked one of the containers over with his hind leg. The barrel clattered and Trash flinched hurtfully. Was her idea not good enough? She turned to Grim to see what he was doing but he was already sternly side eying her. Upon making eye contact, he blinked and went back to talking with Huck.

Trash backed up off the bucket and weakly smiled. “Okay, let's do that. I'll go wake up Ismet.” she quickly left the kitchen and scurried to the open door. Adder froze up and watched her run.

“Should I stop her?” He mumbled and got furious, concerned nods in reply.

Trash opened the closet and poked her head in. “Ismet?” she asked gently. He rustled under his sheets and gasped for air as he woke up. The towel protecting his face was clean but dangerously covering his nose- it must have been recently changed but sloppily applied. She approached him slowly and peeled the clean cloth off half his face to let him breathe easier. Once she had it away from his left eye, Adder slipped in the room but was too late judging by the way Trashs fur stood on end.

“It's worse than it was yesterday.” Adder hastily trotted forward and pulled the rag back over his eye. Trash staggered back and pulled her lip back in a disgusted, yet anxious, snarl. 

“What is it..?” Ismet finally spoke, his frail, high- pitched voice barely being audible. Trash fell into a frightened glare at his left eye, the pupil was blown and dull while the rest of the eye was a murky blue. His pupil didn't move, it was unfocused, dead, and ghostly. The slash that went through it tore back his eyelid and made him unable to even close the damaged eye. The leader found herself lost in the fog of the fish eye- like orb.

“Did you not tell him?” Trash mewed and debated pulling the towel off of his other eye so he could figure it out on his own. She didn't want to be the one to break this to him.

“Tell me what?” Ismet spoke up again and started to stretch his legs but yelped and fell still when he pulled at his covered stomach wounds.

Adder shook his head and ignored his friend. “Should I?” he whispered. Trash nodded and watched as Adder crouched down to the floor. “Don't panic now, okay? You've made it through the night and I know you'll be fine.” He paused and realized the small toms trembling was back. “Can you promise me you won't freak out?” the tan cat rasped his tongue over Ismets curly cheek fur.

“You two are making it worse. Son, your left eyes dead.” The door to the closet pulled fully open suddenly and Grim stood in the entrance. He quickly admitted the truth to Ismet and the wounded cats mouth opened as he started to let out heavy breaths. 

“Is it  _ gone? _ Do I still have it?! I can't feel anything where it should be!” Ismet scrambled up to sit and fought through the pain in his stomach. The rag on the right half of his face fully slipped off to reveal a tired, bright blue eye. His panicked state made his vision dash all around the room before landing on Grim, a cat who he hadn't properly met before hand. Grim nudged his way in between Adder and Trash to stand tall in front of Ismet. Ismet looked over the menacing tom and felt comforted to know he had an eye injury as well. Trash and Adder both realized why Grim had been the one to tell the truth to Ismet- it was because he could relate to his fear. Grim didn't have the same idea in mind.

“Your eyes still in socket, but that cuts deep. Whatever did it clearly aimed to yank it out. Can you recall anything involving the attack? Huck and Adder say you were with them all night.” Grim informed and asked with a serious tone that didn't falter to nervousness at all. 

“I recognize your voice, and hers. Who are you both?” Ismet tipped his head and narrowed his eye suspiciously at the sharp objects jabbed into the strangers collars. 

“That wasn't  _ my _ question-” Grim began to snap at his ignorance to  _ clear _ authority. That'd need to be fixed.

“But it was  _ mine _ . Who are you?”  Ismet demanded. 

Grim let a growl rise in his throat. “Grim. She's Trash, leader of Broken Remains- your new group, thanks to the collective decision from your friends.” he announced then leaned forward so close to him, their noses nearly brushed. “Now, Ismet, why don't you tell me what you experienced?” he asked darkly, unabashedly letting Ismet study and grow nervous to his golden eyes and the maroon scars that adorned one. Ismets collected and calm breathing started to slip out of control, he took two deep breaths in a row then lost his peace. He stumbled back and gasped for air while his claws dug and kneaded at the dirty towels he sat on.

Grim fixed his posture and watched him spasm in place. Trash and Adder backed up to give him space when he started to cry from his good eye. “I can't even begin to describe the horror of what I saw; the creature towered over me, lunged, and I woke up screaming.” his heart dared to burst from his chest with every word he spoke as he recalled the traumatic event. 

“That's horrible. Anything else?” Grim raised one of his eyebrows and flicked a twitched ear. Ismets head tipped up gently as he swallowed the nervous wad in his throat.

“No.” 

“Good to know, are we done here?”

“Yes.”

“Great,” Grim stood up with a smile. “You heard him, we can get moving. Huck! Bring the bucket and Adder, debrief him on the situation. I think I scare the poor guy.” he chuckled and cast one last look at Ismets mortified expression before swishing his stained tail tip in his face and leaving the mini room.

Ismet angled his curled ears forward at the sound of a barrel clanging through the mostly empty kitchen and storage area. Huck was dragging one of the empty water buckets by its wire handle in his mouth, he walked clumsily backwards and nearly bumped into Grim. The lip of the container clattered on the uneven and broken tiles as he walked, causing him to have to jerk his massive head back in order to move it. 

“Trash, be a dear and help me move some of the debri on the side walk out of the way so Huck can safely drag Ismet to the alley.” Grim called out to her and jumped on the knocked over cat food bag. Trash frowned to the three cats and went to apologize on behalf of Grim’s attitude and overall behavior but decided against it, she had nothing to apologize for. She scampered into the main sales room behind her companion.

Huck set the handle down and made sure that the duo had left the building for sure. Once he had it confirmed, he groaned and flopped down on the floor next to Ismet. “Grims a lot, huh?” he smiled and got nothing but a scolding look in return.

“What did you two do while I was asleep?” Ismet hissed to his friends. “ _ Broken Remains?  _ Why would you put your, and my, unknowing trust in that? I've never heard of them.” he huffed and blinked, still reeling from the shock of his other eye not being able to do the same.

“They helped save you and they're trying to rally up the cats here in the city. Come to think of it, she  _ did _ avoid most of our questions with promises to answer them later.” Adder answered and let his response trail off.

“So you joined them without the proper knowledge of their group?” Ismet spoke to clarify.

“It'll be fine, you worry too much. It's just us five for now, we'll see where this goes and if it escalates then we can leave.” Huckleberry confidently answered.

“And what if we can't?” Ismet snapped back and raised his small hackles. “Let it be known that I don't approve of this. We're fine on our own, we have our water and a secure space here.” 

“Our water is gone. We have a bucket left and the sink has stopped working since then.” Adder chimed in and quickly picked up the speed of his voice whenever he saw Ismets look of aggression spread over his face. “It’s a long story. Besides, maybe a big group is the key to survival now, it could be beneficial to all of us and the rest of the city- wanderers!” he tried to reassure his nervous friend but knew that it wouldn't change his view. Ismet changed the subject instead.

“What's with the bucket?” The black cat asked. 

“I'm going to carry you in there to the alley, it's their.. base and our new home.” Huck motioned his head down to it and gave an welcoming smile. Ismet didn't budge. “Please go with it for now, we need to keep moving on with our lives, we can't live in the back of a bakery for all eternity.” The Maine Coon took a step closer to his small friend and nudged his back carefully.

“I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty nice to me.” Ismet forced himself to his shaking legs while still being defiant to the idea of leaving the building. Adder picked up one of the clean towels and neatly shoved it in the bucket. That made Ismet give a faint change of heart. “I can't walk over there, please scoot it closer to me.” He asked and Huck pushed it so he could safely crawl headfirst into the bucket. Ismet carefully nestled himself down into the plush cloth and made sure to be cautious of his stomach gashes that were trying to heal.

“You ready to say goodbye to this place?” Adder excitedly asked the brown feline and helped push the container backwards out of the closet. 

“The change in scenery will be nice, but I don't believe in saying goodbye to things. We will return here someday. Happy trails!” Huck gave a big toothy smile to Adder. Adder looked shocked at his response, but seemed to understand it to the fullest. 

“Ah, well, see you soon bakery!” Adder sung and followed behind as Huck grabbed hold of the handle and started to drag Ismet out of the backroom.

Ismet buried his small snout into the towel and closed his eye. Another thing that set him apart from his lifelong peers was that he completely believed in goodbyes. He also believed that they would never return here. Ismet let the pain in his stomach and the rocking of the bucket numb him into a deep sleep for the rough journey ahead of them.


	21. Autumn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the changing of the leaves, comes a change of heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

_ Snap _ , another branch crunched under Dusts heavy paws and he shook his head in disappointment. This was his first time hunting alone in the autumn forest and the aggressive shedding of the trees was driving him crazy. He couldn't take a single step without warning every small creature in the area of his presence, but he pressed on regardless and ran through the woods to find a new spot. One thing he didn't have to worry about was camouflage, due to his brown tabby fur, he blended right in with the autumn environment that engulfed Grinstead and the surrounding forestry. Although, his slight advantage did him no good whenever he was a clumsy mess of hazel fur sprinting through countless patches of crunchy leaves. He sprung up and over to avoid one of the piles, but when he landed he caught his paw on an uprooted tree branch that flung him face first into the harsh ground. As he laid in a lump on the leaves and other types of flora, the world kept rushing around him. A leaf fell on his muzzle which made him sneeze, then another, and he quickly realized they were starting to coat his back during his rest of shame. He spit out leaf bits and sat up to lick his sprung paw. 

Dust brushed off the broken leaf bits that clung to his fluffy chest fur when he noticed that a squirrel was climbing down a tree. His large ears perked up and he froze in place, he knew that if he tried to rush after it then it would run back into its nest. He waited patiently for the creature to get a good distance away from its tree then he started to stalk forward. Dust prowled with his chest low against the ground and picked up his paws in a dragging motion so he wouldn't crunch the leaves on accident. The more the squirrel moved, the closer he got to his catch. He noticed it had paused to sit back on his hind legs so he pushed himself up more from his stance. It looked around the forest and twitched its bushy tail before taking off in a run in a thick patch of leaves. The squirrel remained so well hidden in the warm colored leaves, Dust swore it dug itself underground. He pounced on the pile but when nothing came out of it, he pulled a pouty lip and sat down while brainstorming where he had went wrong. 

Rustling noises sounded above him so he looked up to see the squirrel clinging to the branch-  _ mocking him. _ He snarled and bunched his haunches to explode from the leaf pile and scrabble to grab hold of the wood. His claw tips skimmed it, peeled off bark, then he landed awkwardly on the paw he had injured earlier. He yelped at the burst of pain that shot up his arm and he crumbled weakly to the ground, unable to resist the urge to cry. The squirrel jumped off the branch and sent dozens of leaves, acorns, and twigs showering down on Dust, before it vanished in the golden tree tops. 

He sniffed back the tears and defeatedly sat up to look around himself at the empty clearing surrounded by trees and sheltered by their canopy. His long tail swept over the leaves carelessly and his stomach grumbled. The young tom still had no idea how to hunt, despite spying on his group mates on their trips. He practiced and mimicked what they did to get successful catches, but nothing seemed to work for him. Dust resulted to Lime being his main source of prey income, she would always share some of her catch with him and it made him feel nothing but guilt. He stretched and shook out his pelt to clean it of the fallen forestry for a fresh start on hunting. 

Dust got to his paws and staggered to the river stream that separated The Rebels land from The Outcasts. He emerged from the woods into the grassy stretch of land that ran along the stream. He strolled near the water and tucked his legs under himself to get comfortable as he drank, but soon realized he wasn't alone. Down the wide stream on the opposite end was The Outcasts themselves: Dark, Spunky and his brother, Dirt. He jumped and backed up, assuming they hadn't spotted him yet, he tried to run away into the woods but was stopped by an excited feminine voice.

“ _ Dust?  _ Is that you!?” Spunky yelled from her side of the stream. Dust sighed and started to walk over to them, knowing he couldn't avoid the awkward conversation that would follow. As he drew near, he noticed how Dirt nudged Spunky with his shoulder and The Rebel suddenly felt more uneasy than he ever had. He hadn't seen these cats in days, and while it only was a short amount of time, it felt like centuries. Dirt had disowned him by not allowing him into The Outcasts, he had to remind himself, but that didn't mean he couldn't be respectful to the leader.

“Hey, you guys!” Dust called across the large gap of water between them. In a friendly manner, he swayed his feathery tail above his back as he spoke. 

“It's hard to talk like this! Why don't you cross the rocks?” Spunky replied to him, ignoring Dirts huffs of disapproval. Dust looked at the straight pathway of around a dozen large rocks strangely placed to connect the two sides. He placed one paw on the first slick rock but stepped back when Dirt blocked his way from the opposite end. 

“You can stay over there.” He snapped. Dust ripped at the damp grass under his paws at his siblings territorial aggression.

“How are you three?” He asked tiredly and Spunky was fast to respond.

“We’re wonderful! And you?” she mewed. Dust wanted to tell them how The Rebels were doing, but after the theatrical events of the other day, he realized she could probably care less. 

“I could be better.” He shrugged and saw how carefully his sibling was watching him. Dirts golden eyes narrowed as if he was about to charge across the rocks himself and aggressively tackle The Rebel into the autumn leaves. Dusts long ears pricked up and he turned around to see the out of season bushes rattling and out stepped his group mate, Bronze. The tough tom found his place right next to Dust and scowled at the hostile leader and his companions across the way. 

“What's going on here? Should I get Lash?” He mumbled into Dusts torn ear. Dust shook his head and raised his eyebrows at the sight of Dirt hacking slightly in his throat. As he choked, he shook slightly but didn't drop his stance an inch. 

“No, no, it's fine. I was just curious as to what they were up to.” Dust suspiciously flicked his tail. Dark stood up next to Dirt, ready to support him if he fell. Was this a normal thing? 

“Come on, Dust. Lime was wondering where you had ran off to.” Bronze nudged the tabby with his shoulder and started to walk back to the woods. Dust was slow to follow, he wanted to see what the opposing leader would do next. Dirt knew he was waiting for him to stumble more so he hissed and swatted his paw threateningly in the water. 

“You better go.” Dirt growled and Dust slumped forward. The striped feline turned to the woods and began walking away, but curiosity got the best of him and he turned around slightly. As he expected, Dark and Spunky were trying to leave as well but Dirt stood tall, making sure The Rebels-  _ Dust- _ would leave. Dirt sniffed once more which prompted Dust to turn back and quickly scamper on the slippery rocks. His large paws had him off balanced on the curvy and slick surfaces but he kept himself above the water to land right in front of the spotted tom. Dirt widened his eyes and leaned back on his haunches, he cautiously drew his paw up in a position to strike if the other came closer. Dust looked down at his fatigue ridden brother, crouched under him like a cowering kit. He leaned down and sweetly pressed his nose to the shaggy cats forehead, bracing himself to be smacked away.

“My land is your land. I'm here for you,” Dust mewed then licked his short fur when he pulled back. “always.” he finished with a smile. Dirt stared emptily up at him, his once blazing bright eyes seemed to dull with every second. The darkness under his eyes grew deeper and he wondered how long it would take til that same shadow took him over entirely.

“Dust! Come on!” Bronze yelled from the other side of the waterway. Dirt looked around his sibling then loosely batted the others chest to push him away. His claws were knowingly sheathed and Dust took that information to heart.

“Get outta here.” Another sniff came from The Outcast. Dust turned to leave and gave him one last smile before sloppily rushing back to his land- _their_ _land._ Dirt went back to his camp with Dark and Spunky at his side, the three of them walking in blissful silence. Dust met up with Bronze once more and followed slowly behind him. 

“Did you notice how sickly he looked? He couldn't stop sniffing.” Dust mewed and trotted closer to the striking Selkirk Rex. Bronze shrugged and shook his head so abruptly, the long fur scruffs on his chin swung. 

“Maybe he actually is sick? Regardless, it doesn't matter.” Bronze replied hastily and lightly smacked the tabbies side with his humongous tail. 

“Why do you say it doesn't matter? You were there when we first entered the neighborhood.” Dust dragged his paws on the ground and let his head droop.

“Because he's an Outcast, and we have no quarrel with them. If you don't understand that much, then I recommend you rethink your current life.” The golden cat murmured.

Dust frowned and flattened his ears back. Bronze noticed his discomfort so he paused, took a deep breath and exhaled, then sat down. Dust keep walking for a moments longer but noticed his companion had stopped doing the same. He looked behind him and cocked his head. “What's wrong?”

“You can't go back there with this mindset, Dust,” Bronze paused in between his sentences, as if he was reconsidering what he was about to say. Dusts tail naturally fluffed when he realized Bronze was tearing up the thin leaves under his paws with his shimmering claws. “Do you want to see if I can convince Dirt to let you join The Outcasts? You clearly want to be with your sibling and won't support The Rebels. But by me saying this, I  _ swear _ if you say you want to join Broken Remains I don't know what I'd do.” another leaf shredded under those fascinating talons.

“What?! First off, you can't- he hates me! Next, why do you think I would so blatantly betray The Rebels by joining those city cats!” Dust yelped in shock, ending his response spiel with a slight growl. 

“I think I could convince him, it wouldn't be hard.” Bronze closed his bright eyes and chuckled to himself. When he opened them, he kept them half lidded in a challenging glare to Dust. “I'm glad you won't be joining them, that makes me feel a bit better.”

“Look, can we just get back to camp now? I get it, you want me in order and not misbehaving around the group. It won't happen again and I'll stay away from The Outcasts.. if I can help it.” Dust batted some leaves to relieve his frustration. The toms stayed in place so they both could process the conversation that was quickly drifting away from them. Before it was fully gone, Dust flicked his ripped ear and whispered to the intimidating cat seated in front of him. “Were you going to threaten Dirt?” he mumbled.

“Threaten him? No, I'd  _ persuade  _ him to let you join.” Bronze licked his wide paw then drug it along his mane of fuzzy fur, while Dusts eyes never left the glint of his hooked claws in the shine of the autumn evening.

“That doesn't make me feel positive, so the answer is no. Let's go, Bronze, you said Lime was looking for me.” he blabbered out. 

“That was a lie, I only needed to talk to you about all that. Besides, you're quite loud for someone trying to hunt. It was obvious that you'd get easily sidetracked and  _ just so happen _ to run into The Outcasts.” Bronze stood up and shook his curly fur free of the leaf bits that latched onto him. 

“So Lime  _ didn't  _ need me?” Dust whimpered at the cat passing him to walk back to their base.

“No, I had to find an excuse get you alone and out of that confrontation before Rasha or Lash forcefully did. You're welcome, now come along.” Bronze responded then started on his way back to the camp. Dust bit his tongue before he snapped and said something he regretted, then bounded after his peer at a distance. He had brought them out quite a ways, while the stream line was nearby, it was a good walk out which caused the trudge back to be painfully quiet. 

Dust shuffled along behind Bronze, too anxious from his scolding to meet his eyes and engage in a time passing conversation. 

 

_ CLANG _

 

The tabbies head shot up at the dull noise coming from the city. He froze to focus in on it then realized Bronze was still walking, having not heard it himself. If he wasn’t concerned, then Dust figured he didn’t have to be either. He disregarded it as an unsteady building finally collapsing, its bricks and supports giving out after months of struggling to hold up with no maintenance given. Support crews had swept the heart of the city and the upper class neighborhoods just hours after the earthquake ended, but no one ever came to the aid of the neglected side of Grinstead. But then the aggressive sound continued, the noise came closer and closer until Bronzes short ears perked up and he finally looked to his left. 

“What the hell is that?” He snarled to the younger cat behind him. 

“It might be buildings collapsing?” Dust suggested his idea with an unsure smile. If he was honest, he didn’t want to investigate it but Bronze was already in a full force run to the city- forest border of bushes. 

“No, I highly doubt they’d fall in that abrupt style- listen.” Bronze dove to the cover of the prickly, dying bushes and hoped they would be concealed from onlookers due to their pelts matching colors. They both peered through the branches to hear the ear bleeding noise from a closer stance. Dust flinched and cringed every time the noise went off, his large ears  _ begging _ for mercy against the scraping and obnoxious banging. 

Then, from down the street and around the corner, Trash appeared, followed by Grim and two new faces to The Rebels. In between the traveling group was a large white container, being dragged from the handle by a Maine Coon. Bronze muttered confused swears and narrowed his eyes, his hackles raised and Dust rubbed his shoulder against his. 

“It’s just Broken Remains and.. A bucket?” He meowed awkwardly.

“So you’re saying  _ all _ of them are Broken Remains cats?” Bronze growled suspiciously and Dust raised a paw up innocently to lick it.

“Well, I don’t know but i’d assume so.” he defended.

“Go get Lash.” Bronze flicked his tail tip back and forth and lowered himself against the ground more. 

“What? Why?” Dust tipped his head.

“Because I said so! He’s the leader and he needs to know what’s going on with them!” Bronze barked his orders with a sharp change in tone and Dust sprinted off, kicking up leaves behind him and being careful to not trip like he had done earlier. He bolted through the woods and jumped over debri in his way, until he saw the circle of distinct trees that was home to The Rebels. He squeezed himself under an opening in the bushes that surrounded their clearing and ran across the center stone to Lash’s tree. The leader laid loosely on one of its branches, he slowly opened his eyes to the commotion from the rest of The Rebels due to Dusts rush into camp.

“Dust? What's wrong?” he lazily mewed. Dust skidded to a stop under the leader and wheezed to catch air.

“Bronze and I saw Trash and Grim bringing cats back to the alley, along with a bucket that the biggest cat I have ever seen in my life was pulling. You need to see this.” he spoke loudly and out of breath, his words sloshing together. Lash angled his tufted ears to understand what the tabby was saying, then jumped down when he got it. 

“Let's get going.” The leader announced and followed quickly behind him. As they sped across the stone, Rasha poked his head out from his hollowed out tree den and stalked far behind. 

After a painfully aggressive rush to the border, they caught up with Bronze. Dust watched Lash’s face scrunch with anger as the bucket continued to clang and the group got closer. Lash growled and stood up once the city cats had turned into the alleys alleys side building with the knocked in door.

“They're expanding, that's for sure.” Came Rasha's annoyingly smooth voice from behind. The three Rebels at the border turned back to see Rasha leaning against a tree. 

“Must you follow me?” Lash snapped.

“I've got to stay in the know, can't have anyone a step ahead of me.” the tabby strutted forward and brushed Dust aside. “Head on back to camp, let the adults speak.” Dust stiffened up at his claim but knew better than to argue. He watched to see if Bronze would have any sympathy towards him, but the three older toms were already deep into a harsh conversation about Broken Remains. Dust padded in the direction  to camp and looked back countless times. In his pauses of sorrow, he swore he caught a glimpse of Lash’s emerald eyes out of the corner of his own. Knowing that at least one of the respectable cats had enough care to see how he was doing on his lonely walk back, Dust picked up the pace home.

With Dust out of the way, the trio continued their conversation but Rasha was  _ clearly _ more passionate about this than the others. “I say we charge them now, like we should have done days ago. Wipe them out now and solve the problems that are sure to appear daily.” Rasha darkly spat, unsheathing his pearly claws. 

“We can’t rush in there out of nowhere.” Lash peered through the bush once more and sighed. 

“And why not? They're sure to do it to us eventually. It hasn't even been that long and they've recruited three new members, how many more will follow?” Rasha questioned, leaning closer to Lash to push his limits. The leader sat down and looked at the cluttered forest floor as he thought.

“We will watch this border constantly. Every time someone leaves camp, they are to visit this edge and check on Broken Remains.” he looked to Bronze then Rasha to read their body language. Bronze pulled a uneven smile and raised his giant tail up while Rasha remained unamused with the suggestions.

“What's your plan if they do something notable? Say, more cats join?” Bronze finally added in after listening quietly.

“Then we will listen to Rasha and attack the next morning, at the break of sky. That will be where I draw the line on this feud.” Lash declared, startling himself with the admittance of listening to his rivaling successor. 

“Why not the moment of?” Rasha asked.

“We attack when I say we attack, that's why. You two clear on this?” both cats nodded. “Great, i’ll go inform everyone else of our new policy in place.” Lash briskly walked back to camp before Rasha could object or critique his rule. With the fragile leader out of sight, Rasha twitched his long whiskers and tilted his head to Bronze.

“Why the next morning?” Bronze questioned and motioned for Rasha to walk with him. Rasha fixed his posture, tipped his nose up to the sky, and replied with a snort.

“Because he needs time to pray that he's not making a mistake.” 


	22. Expansion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cities expanding and growing, but so is Broken Remains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow Darkened Paths on Twitter! https://twitter.com/DarkenedPaths
> 
> Character References - https://sta.sh/29k9ixcaz3g?edit=1
> 
> RedBubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/shadowedcipher
> 
> Information/ About Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fxbz1x7FQbkRBWyqKCfNc0gQbZ1fkwRe3g_lTl2rVYs/edit?usp=sharing

Huckleberry dropped the handle of the bucket and stepped back to stretch his neck. Trash cheerfully smiled to him and began to speak, “That was some great work! Let's get Ismet settled in and we can relax for the rest of the day.” she chipperly mewed and looked around the base floor of the small office building. For such an injured cat she didn't want him sleeping on the concrete stairs or flat carpeting, then she remembered Spunky and Darks nest behind the knocked over desk. 

To the left of the entrance, the desk and the scrappy bed it hid still remained intact. The scent of the two cats who once slept there still lingered in the air, but it would soon be overrun with the metallic city stench of Broken Remains. Grim caught onto her thoughts and looked expectantly to the Maine Coon. “Huck, would you mind us using your strength once more to nudge Ismet to the area behind the desk?” he curtly meowed. 

Huck took a few steps over to peer behind the desk and smiled in delight at the sight of the pile of plush fabrics. “That sounds like a great idea! Looks cozy too, but is this you twos nest?” he asked politely. Trash and Grim both pulled uniformed reactions, their tails fluffed up slightly and their expressions went deadpan. It was a casual question but the leader knew he was implying more.

“No, it's not ours, it belonged to the cats who lived here before us.” Trash mewed casually at the same time as Grims, way more intricate, answer.

“No, ours isn't ready yet.” He closed his eyes and proudly smiled. While they talked over each other and he finally understood what she had said, he gave her a puzzled glance. Trash, afraid and too awkward to address his response in fear of offending him further, furiously nodded to the group.

“What Grim said.  _ Our _ nest isn't ready yet. Sorry.” she shakily confirmed, in disbelief at his words. 

“You two just finish each other's sentences, huh?” Huck heartily laughed. “Okay, I'll get us settled in over here, where will you two be sleeping?” he said while leaning down to pick up the buckets handle once more. Ismet groaned when the rough container continued to kick around with him laying inside.

“I'll get us something set up soon, we can sleep on the stair landing for now.” Grim spoke casually and waved his crimson tail tip to the stairs. Huck and Trash nodded to acknowledge him while Ismet crawled out of the bucket and settled down on Spunky and Darks old nest. Once he was out, Adder pulled the towel from the bucket and draped it over his friend to cover his closed stomach wounds. Huck was quick to nestle down behind Ismet and cover the small tom with his large tail. 

“I really want to walk. How long do you think it'll be till I can?” Ismet mumbled and rested his chin on Hucks tail. Trash sat down, seeing as this conversation would probably last a while. Grim look the que and did the same.

“Well, it’ll be quite the process between your loss of an eye and the way those gashes will heal over. This won’t be an easy or fast time, but I'm sure within the next day or so we can get you stretching.” Grim spoke smartly, licking his paw in between sentences to remain humble. 

“Oh, ok. What are our boundaries for when I can?” Ismet mumbled and Grim tried to ignore the ghostly eye staring straight through him. Adder and Huck looked curiously at Grim so they could be educated as well.

“Anywhere where The Rebels can’t see you.” He sharply replied then turned to Trash. “Isn't that right?”

He was  _ technically _ right but that  _ morally _ didn't sit well with her. They had borders for a reason and she intended to respect them. Just because they wouldn't get caught didn't mean they were allowed to aimlessly wander wherever they pleased. Trash shuffled her paws on the damp carpeting to avoid a direct reply to him. “Stay off the left side of the forest, that's The Rebels. The right is The Outcasts and-”

“And we are more than welcome to wander where we please there. They won't stop you, and if they do, tell me and I'll handle it.” Grim jumped in again to growl. 

“Me and Grim are going out to hunt,” Trash started.

“We are?” Grim tilted his head.

“Yes, come on.” Trash trotted to the knocked down door and stood on it in preparation to leave. 

“You wanna leave ‘em here alone?” Grim mewed, baffled.

“They aren’t alone, they have each other.” Trash retorted.

“You know that's not what I meant.” he snarled. 

“Come.” she demanded.

“Excuse me, gentlemen.” Grim mumbled and begrudgingly followed the calico. Trash trotted with her head low to get a distance away from the alley while Grim rushed after her with his tail bobbing as he walked. “What's all this about? You okay?”

“I just wanted to hunt.” she mewed and twitched her long whiskers. Grim slowed her to a gentle pace by walking alongside her, once she had calmed down, he rested his tail on her back. 

“You’re in quite the rush to hunt.. what's on your mind?” Grim asked. Trash looked behind her then to the Chartreux.

_ “A demon?” _

Shade chuckled to herself from inside Trashs head. But the calico didn't find it funny, she pricked the fur along her spine at the sudden intrusion.  _ Hello, Shade. _ She thought with an edge to her voice. “I wanted to stretch my legs.” 

“Did you not do that enough on the walk home? Just be honest with me.” Grim frowned. Trashs black back fur spiked more. 

“I needed to talk to you about your behavior around them.. and I figured pulling you aside would be best.” Trash admitted and flattened her ears. “I want to respect The Rebels and Outcasts, even if The Rebels don't respect me.” she mumbled.

“That's not know this works-"

“Then how does it work!” Trash snapped and Grim finally took notice of her raised hackles and bushed tail. “We aren't forest cats.  _ You _ are not a forest cat. They are different than us. You were born in a home like me, stop pretending you're something you're not,” she growled and Grim twitched his scarred eye.

“You seem to forget they were house cats too.” he shook his fur. “Where I was born and where I was raised are two very different things. You dare to call yourself a house cat when the streets made you what you are? I learned everything I knew in those woods, and if you want to keep them under control then you need to assert that. I'm merely trying to guide you on the right path.” Grim snorted and bunched his snout in anger. 

“Guide me on the right path? You're throwing me into the road!” She hissed and unsheathed her pin pricks of claws.

Grim saw her claws but kept his sheathed. “We’re both city cats now. We are  _ both _ the city scum that's shouted about in rants and howled in last breaths.” Trash instinctively shrunk down in front of the tom. “What came prior doesn't matter, but the lessons we learned do. I'm trying to help you because while you think you've seen the world, I've seen it twofold.” he swished his tail lowly.

“Why would you want to help me if I do stuff like this? Dragging you out just to argue?” Trash mewed, her eyes wide with sympathy.

Grim sighed and relaxed his shoulders. “We aren't arguing. We are just talking, so must your claws be out for a simple conversation? You wouldn't strike me for simply speaking, would you?” He motioned to her claws scraping the concrete with his own blood soaked paw. She sheathed them and mumbled an apology. Trash looked at her own small paws, still pristine and pearly white, then at his in front of her.

“I would never hurt you.” She answered quietly. 

“This city is ours and we’re in it together, no matter what. Now come on, let's go  _ really _ hunt before those three tear the alley to shreds.” He turned his back to her and left Trash shrunk down against the cracked sidewalk. She took a moment to regain her composure, then caught up quickly with Grim.

“One last question,”

“Yes?” Grim was fast to respond.

“Why don’t you trust them? And no witty response, please.” Trash asked and raised an eyebrow.

“No witty response? You're such a bore, Trash.” he chuckled deep from his chest. “They're new and I haven't had time to adjust to them yet, I'm sure after a while I'll be treating them like family.” He confidently replied. 

Trash thought on it for a moment, barely shook her head, then looked forward as they continued to walk. They carried on through the streets, jumping over tires and seeing how far they could kick small brick pieces. By now, they had made quite a distance between themselves and the alley that if they weren't walking straight, Trash would have sworn they were lost. With no prey in sight, Trash figured the fast approaching winter was slamming them into a corner or they had caught onto the city cats schedule. Grims bittersweet voice bumped her from her thoughts.

“Do you want to take a side street or keep heading to the heart?” Grim asked, gesturing his head to both sides of the intersection they had stopped at. He looked out at the vine like cables decorating the road then noticed something out of place in the environment; a small, red canister was placed at the corner up ahead. 

The duo exchanged confused glances then mutually rushed to it. As they drew closer, Grim slowed and held his tail out in front of the calico. She abruptly stopped and backed up. 

“Do you know what it is?” Trash questioned and looked up the seemingly endless building next to her to check the windows. 

“Not exactly, but it belongs to humans.” He slowly got closer.

“Well, they left a lot of their belongings behind so why is this any different? Is it dangerous?” Trash side stepped to the building and safely pressed her flank to the brick. Grim sniffed the can and wrinkled his nose at the smell, then looked up and around the street corner. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped at what he saw. Trashs short fur poofed up once more at his look of horror and she hesitantly creeped towards him.

“We should go..” She rasped then gently nudged him aside so she could look around as well. Trash sniffed the container and stuck out her tongue when the smell hit her as well. “Would it be smart to tip it over? I'm curious.” she glanced up at him. Grim shrugged and kicked it harshly with his front leg. The can was mostly empty, it smacked the ground and tumbled around til black liquid began to pour out of the thin, yellow rod attached to the top. 

Both cats jumped up in the air and stepped far away from the strange object. The sludge like liquid spilled off the sidewalk, flooded the cracks, and dripped into the drain grate. Its putrid scent wafted in the air and clogged their lungs, so much so, Trash began coughing while Grim carefully walked around it. She wheezed and shook her head then yelped when she saw Grim getting closer.  “Where are you going?! We need to get _away_ not closer! We’ll go home and tell the others this area of the city is off limits.” She coughed more and resisted the urge to breathe in until she absolutely had to. 

“I think the humans already took care of that. Come get a look at this.” Grim looked back at the wheezing Calico and motioned her forward. Trash staggered to him, careful to not get any of the running oil on her paws.

The sight in front of them was indescribable to a simple feline such as herself, she saw large mechanical structures decorated in a golden yellow paint along with chain link belts and wheels. Small, tan box enclosures were placed around the perimeter, light blasting through their small windows covered in curtains. Buildings in the square were knocked to the ground, but not by natural causes from the earthquake-- the humans had forcefully ripped them from their supports to nothing but dirt and pipeline. Small areas of black paint could be seen among the rubble. Yellow and white tape connecting areas flashed off their glowing eyes in the soft morning light, but to Trash, the renovation was blinding. 

_ “That's what I came to let you know. They're back to fix what's broken.”  _

Shade informed Trash. She nodded slightly and crouched low. Where the construction started had been blocked off by wooden barricades and more reflective material, but Trash heavily noticed the countless symbols unifying everything in the zone. A large black ‘X’ in the center, followed by a circle overlapping the thick lines, then four smaller circles attached to the outlier lines to form more ‘X’s. The strange insignia spray painted onto the wood and surrounding buildings was daunting to her, it made her fear there was something bigger looming near her. And this time, it wasn't Shade. Or was it? She recalled Shades carved in flesh- revealing face with a ‘X’ slashed in where her eye should be.

Peculiar, frightening, demanding and cold. The dripping paint from the messily done marking on the to-be-torn-down buildings whispered something more to her. No, it  _ screamed  _ it to her. It stabbed itself in her head and commanded attention. This simple symbol was something greater than everything she's ever known… and little did she know, it was here to stay. 

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the city.


End file.
